bearing

American  

[bair-ing] / ˈbɛər ɪŋ /

noun

bearings plural

1. the manner in which one conducts or carries oneself, including posture and gestures.

   a man of dignified bearing.

   Synonyms:

   conduct, behavior, demeanor, mien, carriage

2. the act, capability, or period of producing or bringing forth.

   a tree past bearing.

3. something that is produced; a crop.

4. the act of enduring or capacity to endure.

5. reference or relation (usually followed byon ).

   It has some bearing on the problem.

   Synonyms:

   application, dependency, connection

6. Architecture.

   1. a supporting part of a structure.

   2. the area of contact between a bearing member, as a beam, and a pier, wall, or other underlying support.

7. Machinery. the support and guide for a rotating, oscillating, or sliding shaft, pivot, or wheel.

8. Often bearings. direction or relative position.

   The pilot radioed his bearings.

   Synonyms:

   aim, course

9. Surveying. a horizontal direction expressed in degrees east or west of a true or magnetic north or south direction.

10. Heraldry. any single device on an escutcheon; charge.

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bearing British  

/ ˈbɛərɪŋ /

noun

1. a support, guide, or locating piece for a rotating or reciprocating mechanical part

2. relevance (to)

   it has no bearing on this problem

3. a person's general social conduct, esp in manners, dress, and behaviour

4. 1. the act, period, or capability of producing fruit or young

   2. an amount produced; yield

5. the part of a beam or lintel that rests on a support

6. anything that carries weight or acts as a support

7. the angular direction of a line, point, or course measured from true north or south ( true bearing ), magnetic north or south ( magnetic bearing ), or one's own position

8. (usually plural) the position or direction, as of a ship, fixed with reference to two or more known points

9. (usually plural) a sense of one's relative position or situation; orientation (esp in the phrases lose , get , or take one's bearings )

10. heraldry

    1. a device or emblem on a heraldic shield; charge

    2. another name for coat of arms

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Synonym Usage

See manner ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unbearing
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bearings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bearing

First recorded in 1200–50, bearing is from the Middle English word beryng. See bear ¹, -ing ¹

Explanation

When you walk into a room with your shoulders straight and your head up, people might say you have a noble bearing. Bearing is the way you hold your body, and it often means you hold it well. Bearing has many uses, but they mostly involve support and/or direction. Bearing, for example, is the name given to a mechanical part that supports a moving joint — like a ball bearing. In buildings, bearings are walls or beams that support the building. In the same way, when you carry your body, you are bearing yourself up. Bearing also is used to talk about direction and travel: you could step off the sidewalk and nearly be run over by a car bearing north.

Example Sentences

Bearing banners saying "Kick polluters out of the Games", the activists set up a model of the Olympic rings covered in black oil in front of the cathedral in central Milan.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

Bearing the brunt of Tuesday’s steep 2% retreat in the S&P 500 was tech, as the Magnificent 7 shed a collective $683 billion in market cap, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 21, 2026

Bearing witness, creating a record—this isn’t just for history, folks.

From Slate • Nov. 15, 2025

Bearing down and straining can also cause issues.

From Salon • Oct. 25, 2024

Bearing all these facts in mind, let’s try to regain our sense of perspective about the role of germs in answering Yali’s question.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• demeanor
• manner