Showing Results for "calling"

See Also:

• present participle of call.

calling

American  

[kaw-ling] / ˈkɔ lɪŋ /

noun

callings plural

1. the act of a person or thing that calls.

2. vocation, profession, or trade.

   What is your calling?

   Synonyms:

   field, specialty, forte, province, mission

3. a call or summons.

   He had a calling to join the church.

4. a strong impulse or inclination.

   She did it in response to an inner calling.

5. a convocation.

   the calling of Congress.

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calling British  

/ ˈkɔːlɪŋ /

noun

1. a strong inner urge to follow an occupation, etc; vocation

2. an occupation, profession, or trade

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• callings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of calling

Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; see origin at call, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Calling nonprofits anti-American “flies in the face of a long history of cross-ideological, bipartisan consensus that the diversity of missions of nonprofits was a strength,” Phil Buchanan, CEP’s president, said in an interview.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

Calling them “swaps” avoids state regulation and stricter insider-trading laws.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

Calling it “simple math,” Natasha Kaneva and her team explain that commodity markets are always forced into equilibrium, in which supply and inventory withdrawals must meet consumption.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

Calling it a “surgical procedure” is almost overkill.

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026

Calling on his Washington connections, Galifianakis brought a congressional committee staffer to town to investigate the possible abuse of federal funds.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson