bae

¹

[bey]

noun

1. an affectionate term used to address or refer to one’s girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, etc..

   I love you, bae.

adjective

baeer, baeest 

1. greatly admired or loved.

2. very cool; great.

   His accent is so totally bae!

BAE

²

1. Bureau of Agricultural Economics.

2. Bureau of American Ethnology.

B.A.E.

³

abbreviation

1. Bachelor of Aeronautical Engineering.

2. Bachelor of Agricultural Engineering.

3. Bachelor of Architectural Engineering.

4. Bachelor of Art Education.

5. Bachelor of Arts in Education.

Sensitive Note

Like similar uses of babe and baby, the word bae may sometimes be disparaging or offensive when used to refer to someone considered attractive or when used to address a stranger or casual acquaintance.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bae¹

An Americanism first recorded in 2000–05; probably a shortening of babe or baby

Example Sentences

Joseph Bae and Scott Nuttall have jointly led private-equity giant KKR since 2021, when their longtime predecessors, co-founders Henry Kravis and George Roberts, became co-executive chairmen.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Defense manufacturer Leonardo rises nearly 2.6% and industry peers such as BAE Systems also trade higher.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Babcock International falls 3.1%, Renk Group drops 2.8%, Saab is 2.15% lower, Hensoldt loses 1.5%, Leonardo and BAE Systems dip 1.2% each, while Rheinmetall and Thales are each down 0.9%.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Several American defence contractors, British aerospace giant BAE Systems and Canada-based semiconductor intelligence provider TechInsights -- and its affiliates in Europe, Japan and South Korea -- were among the firms added to the country's "Unreliable Entities List", the Ministry of Commerce announced.

Read more on Barron's

After getting her license years later, she’d spend her first few years flying small turboprops before being offered a dream role flying regional routes in Australia on a BAe 146.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

When To Use

What does bae mean?

Bae is a slang term for one’s significant other or an object of affection, often used to address them, e.g., I love you, bae!