becoming
Americanadjective
noun
-
any process of change.
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Aristotelianism. any change involving realization of potentialities, as a movement from the lower level of potentiality to the higher level of actuality.
adjective
noun
-
any process of change
-
(in the philosophy of Aristotle) any change from the lower level of potentiality to the higher level of actuality
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of becoming
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.
Vocabulary lists containing becoming
The Catcher in the Rye
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Murder on the Orient Express
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
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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.
He has his work cut out now to stop that becoming the epitaph to his premiership.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
Eight years later, the Dragon spacecraft carried its first astronaut to the ISS, beating other aerospace companies like Boeing to becoming the main American transport to the space station.
From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026
“The urgency with which they’re improving operations and becoming more efficient is like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
An increase in melt days indicates that the melt season is becoming longer, which contributes to greater overall ice loss.
From Science Daily • Jun. 12, 2026
They were still walking downhill, and the ground was becoming wetter underfoot.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
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.
