existed

Existed is the past tense and past participle form of the verb "exist," which means to have being or reality. The term is used to describe the state of being present or alive during a specific period in history or within a particular context. Existence can refer to tangible entities, such as physical objects or living beings, as well as abstract concepts like ideas, time, or conditions.

The concept of existence has been a central subject in philosophy, especially in metaphysics and ontology. Philosophers inquire about what it means for something to exist, how existence differs from non-existence, and the nature of reality itself. Notably, debates around existence include questions about the existence of the universe, gods, and abstract entities such as numbers or moral values.

In language, "existed" is used to denote that something was in a state of being in the past, often referencing historical events, ancient civilizations, or previous states of a subject. For example, "The ancient city of Troy existed over 3,000 years ago," illustrates the past existence of a location.

Existed also appears in literary and scientific contexts, typically to describe the historical presence or duration of phenomena. Its usage is straightforward, serving as a grammatical tool to communicate the temporal aspect of being.

Overall, "existed" encapsulates the concept of having been or having had presence in the past, and remains a common term across disciplines that study or describe reality and history.