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

Example Sentences

But it’s becoming a delightfully frequent occurrence that Small learns after the fact that her music is featured prominently in a movie or television show.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

But workers are worried about “FOBO” — the fear of becoming obsolete if artificial intelligence takes over their work.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

That book was self-published as an ebook in 2011, then published by Crown Publishers in 2014 before becoming a hit movie starring Matt Damon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Despite its promise, the Uranus Orbiter and Probe is still far from becoming reality.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

In Washington, a day before becoming president of the United States, John Kennedy stepped out of the White House into a cold morning.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin