- present participle of bind.
binding
Americannoun
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bindings
plural
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the act of fastening, securing, uniting, or the like.
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anything that binds.
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the covering within which the leaves of a book are bound.
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a strip of material that protects or decorates the edge of a tablecloth, rug, etc.
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Skiing. a mechanical device on a ski, usually made of metal, that fastens the boot securely to the ski.
noun
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anything that binds or fastens
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the covering within which the pages of a book are bound
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the material or tape used for binding hems, etc
adjective
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imposing an obligation or duty
a binding promise
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causing hindrance; restrictive
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of binding
Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; see origin at bind, -ing 1, -ing 2
Vocabulary lists containing binding
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.
See Examples For:
“U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will ensure that immigration filings are decided based on the laws, regulations, and binding legal precedent that govern each case.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
However, upon further inspection, it’s not clear that any of this is legally binding, and Blanche himself admitted as much during his hearing last month.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
“DOJ remains available to assist New Mexico’s investigation consistent with the law and binding court orders,” the statement said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
The two airline groups had both submitted non-binding offers in April and had three months to submit binding offers.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Mr. Pumblechook was in favour of a handsome premium for binding me apprentice to some genteel trade,—say, the corn and seed trade, for instance.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
"You can think of it as a basket that allows us to capture metals and position them in ways to encourage specific types of bindings."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
On view are examples of bulbous book bindings, acid-etched vases, satin capes, parchment-covered cabinets, angular decanters, diamond-decorated cloche hats, geometric malachite brooches, stark bas-reliefs, Brancusi-faced collar ads, and boxy, black-lacquer screens.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025
The company then proceeded to strip the books’ bindings, cut their pages and scan them into digital and machine-readable forms, according to the decision.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2025
They tend to be these lock-and-key receptors, and if we create a different key, we might be able to alter the bindings.
From Scientific American ● Aug. 1, 2023
Despite everything—her cramping belly, the tightness of her bindings, and the heavy knowledge she carried inside her—Jinny did smile then.
From "Orphan Island" by Laurel Snyder
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.
