Showing results for "being"

• present participle of be.

being

American  

[bee-ing] / ˈbi ɪŋ /

noun

• beings
  plural

1. the fact of existing; existence (as opposed to nonexistence).

2. conscious, mortal existence; life.

   Our being is as an instantaneous flash of light in the midst of eternal night.

3. substance or nature.

   of such a being as to arouse fear.

4. something that exists.

   inanimate beings.

5. a living thing.

   strange, exotic beings that live in the depths of the sea.

6. a human being; person.

   the most beautiful being you could imagine.

7. (initial capital letter) God.

8. Philosophy.

   1. that which has actuality either materially or in idea.

   2. absolute existence in a complete or perfect state, lacking no essential characteristic; essence.

---

conjunction

1. Nonstandard. since; because; considering that (often followed by as, as how, orthat ).

   Being it's midnight, let's go home.

   Being as how you cooked supper, I'll do the dishes.

being British  

/ ˈbiːɪŋ /

noun

1. the state or fact of existing; existence

2. essential nature; self

   she put her whole being into the part

3. something that exists or is thought to exist, esp something that cannot be assigned to any category

   a being from outer space

4. a person; human being

5. (in the philosophy of Aristotle) actuality Compare becoming

---

being Idioms  

1. see for the moment (time being); other things being equal.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonbeing
  noun
• superbeing
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• beings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of being

First recorded in 1250–1300; be + -ing ¹

Explanation

A being is any living creature, from a person to a bug. Being also refers to the state of existing. "To be, or not to be" — that is the question when you're talking about being. Things that exist are in a state of being: this meaning of being is a little vague, but it has to do with the way things are alive and real. The other meaning is easier: beings are living things. Every person is a being, and so is every animal. Beings are no longer in a state of being when they're dead.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

being beings

As her quality of life declined, I couldn't bear the thought of Lara being alone, so for two and a half months I slept on the sofa to be close to her.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

A Russian tanker suffered serious damage to its hull while sailing along the Arctic route despite being assisted by an icebreaker, its insurer, AlfaStrakhovanie, said Thursday, adding that it paid out roughly $650,000.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Bella Ramsey spent many teenage years working with adults so never really went through the moody, rebellious phase often associated with being a teenager.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Indian regulations, despite being more streamlined than in the past, are still onerous for businesses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

He thinks he’s being generous enough by letting me be part of a swim club in that area.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

"We need to all rethink and start thinking of each other as human beings, all entitled to our own opinions."

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Suraci stressed that large carnivores, like any species, have inherent value beyond the services they provide to human beings -- but said that failing to make the economic case would be a disservice to them.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

“It almost feels like we’re not being taken seriously as human beings with needs. Like, we’re just being taken through this crazy obstacle course where they have all these rules that flip-flop on us.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

And sometimes it really is just as basic as: We’re highly sensitive, vibrational beings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

Finally, the beings of air, the many birds and winged bugs, flew into the crisp, salty air.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young