well-being
Americannoun
Usage
What does well-being mean? The well-being of someone or something is its welfare or overall condition or state of health. A high level of well-being means that the overall condition is healthy and positive. Well-being can also refer to a specific aspect of one’s health, and it is often preceded by words like mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and the like. Well-being is most often applied to people and communities but it can also be applied to things, especially organizations or institutions, such as a nation, economy, or educational system. It is sometimes spelled without the hyphen (well being) or as one word (wellbeing). Example: I hate to call out sick so close to my deadline, but I’m trying to prioritize my well-being instead of constantly pushing myself.
Etymology
Origin of well-being
First recorded in 1605–15
Compare meaning
How does well-being compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Well-being is a state of health, happiness, and contentment. Everyone wants to enjoy well-being. When things are going well in a person's life, she feels a sense of well-being. Being healthy, happy, and having friends are all signs of well-being, while if you lose your job or become seriously ill, others will be concerned about your well-being. People in dangerous jobs like soldiers or police officers often find their well-being in jeopardy. The word well-being is also a philosophical term, especially important in various kinds of moral philosophy.
Vocabulary lists containing well-being
"Earth and Space"
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Psychology
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for April 17–April 23, 2021
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We’re here to show you that we are also people that take care of our of animals, and we care for their well-being, and we do it with dignity.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Organisers said the safety and well-being of the visitors and stakeholders was "central to this decision and remains our highest priority".
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
“Financial stress doesn’t just impact a person’s current well-being — it can become a major obstacle to successful retirement planning,” said Scott Bishop, a certified financial planner and partner of Presidio Wealth Partners.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026
But the well-being of their kids is a top, if not the top, priority for members, R360 executives say.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
For me, marriage was more like a full-on merger, a reconfiguring of two lives into one, with the well-being of a family taking precedence over any one agenda or goal.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
