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

See Examples For:

bearing bearings

In this tale, a 9-year-old girl named Ildr, who has recently lost her mother to a plague, encounters a stranger bearing extraordinary inventions such as eyeglasses and a firearm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

But fans remained in high spirits, dancing to the beat of drums, singing patriotic songs and wearing shirts bearing the name of team captain and former Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

Setting aside the foolish contention that one’s personal actions have no bearing on one’s capacity for political leadership, people who treat women like garbage are not the only ones with good politics.

From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026

Veteran Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa posted a photo wearing a cowboy hat bearing the “¿Y si sí?” inscription.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026

She takes a faded scrap of paper from her pocket, bearing her name, her real name that he coaxed from her years ago and asked her to write in one of his notebooks.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

The next big bottleneck trade might have more to do with bearings than microchips.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas recently published a report for clients, flagging makers of bearings as potential “picks and shovels” plays for the robotics boom.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

“The second is the component layer beneath them, the motors, reducers, bearings, sensors, and power content inside the machines themselves.”

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

By the time you get your bearings, you’re ensnared in its net.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026

The punt had been drifting broadside on, but now one end swung forward, so that Hazel lost his bearings and found that he was no longer looking at the bridge but at the bank.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

Related Words

• demeanor
• manner