becoming

American  

[bih-kuhm-ing] / bɪˈkʌm ɪŋ /

adjective

1. that suits or gives a pleasing effect or attractive appearance, as to a person or thing.

   a becoming dress; a becoming hairdo.

   Synonyms:

   comely

2. suitable; appropriate; proper.

   a becoming sentiment.

   Synonyms:

   fitting, seemly, congruous, decorous, right, apt, fit, meet

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noun

1. any process of change.

2. Aristotelianism. any change involving realization of potentialities, as a movement from the lower level of potentiality to the higher level of actuality.

becoming British  

/ bɪˈkʌmɪŋ /

adjective

1. suitable; appropriate

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noun

1. any process of change

2. (in the philosophy of Aristotle) any change from the lower level of potentiality to the higher level of actuality

Other Word Forms

• becomingly adverb
• becomingness noun
• well-becoming adjective

Etymology

Origin of becoming

First recorded in 1555–65; become + -ing ¹, -ing ²

Explanation

Something that's becoming is charming, or looks good. It's a compliment — or a sales tactic — if a salesperson gushes, "That dress is so becoming on you!" Clothing that's becoming is well-suited to the person wearing it, flattering him and making him look great. You can also use the adjective to mean "appropriate," as when a stern kindergarten teacher scolds, "That behavior is not becoming, boys." In the 13th century, something becoming was "fitting," and by the 1560s it also meant "looking good." The opposite of becoming is unbecoming.

Example Sentences

Yes, it’s an imperfect metric, she admitted, but “the thing that matters for your company is: is my employee becoming insanely AI-pilled? And that requires getting them on this tokenmaxxing mindset.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Prevent is a Home Office initiative aimed at stopping individuals from becoming extremists and eventually carrying out attacks.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

“The premium consumer is candidly immune or becoming more immune to the headlines and not delaying their investment in the experience economy,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said on the earnings call.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

In a statement, Space Capital described orbital data centers becoming viewed as a credible idea the “most significant structural shift of the quarter.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

Really looked, deep into my eyes, as if I was becoming a person before him rather than just a duty.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse