Showing results for "being"

• present participle of be.

being

American  

[bee-ing] / ˈbi ɪŋ /

noun

• beings
  plural

1. the fact of existing; existence (as opposed to nonexistence).

2. conscious, mortal existence; life.

   Our being is as an instantaneous flash of light in the midst of eternal night.

3. substance or nature.

   of such a being as to arouse fear.

4. something that exists.

   inanimate beings.

5. a living thing.

   strange, exotic beings that live in the depths of the sea.

6. a human being; person.

   the most beautiful being you could imagine.

7. (initial capital letter) God.

8. Philosophy.

   1. that which has actuality either materially or in idea.

   2. absolute existence in a complete or perfect state, lacking no essential characteristic; essence.

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conjunction

1. Nonstandard. since; because; considering that (often followed by as, as how, orthat ).

   Being it's midnight, let's go home.

   Being as how you cooked supper, I'll do the dishes.

being British  

/ ˈbiːɪŋ /

noun

1. the state or fact of existing; existence

2. essential nature; self

   she put her whole being into the part

3. something that exists or is thought to exist, esp something that cannot be assigned to any category

   a being from outer space

4. a person; human being

5. (in the philosophy of Aristotle) actuality Compare becoming

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being Idioms  

1. see for the moment (time being); other things being equal.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonbeing
  noun
• superbeing
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• beings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of being

First recorded in 1250–1300; be + -ing ¹

Explanation

A being is any living creature, from a person to a bug. Being also refers to the state of existing. "To be, or not to be" — that is the question when you're talking about being. Things that exist are in a state of being: this meaning of being is a little vague, but it has to do with the way things are alive and real. The other meaning is easier: beings are living things. Every person is a being, and so is every animal. Beings are no longer in a state of being when they're dead.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

being beings

Accused men began filing “John Doe” lawsuits, alleging they were being expelled or suspended without due process.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

The severity of what was being reported, Manning added, should have served as a call to launch a deeper investigation that might have turned up additional facts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Daniel's family are being supported by specialist officers.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

The weekend celebration will include inaugural performances at the Dance Center, a new dance instruction and performance venue being built as part of the 100,000-square-foot Gehry-designed addition.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Far in the back was a station that was made of crisscrossing beams, upon which were thin strips of meat being turned into jerky.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

John was taught that Green Lanterns must be fearless beings capable of focusing and wielding their will.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

There is also the phenomenon of pareidolia, the tendency to see images of animals, religious figures and other beings in clouds or pieces of toast.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

"Why is it that human beings don't have the right to challenge these things?"

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

Since the 1980s, psychologist and MIT professor Sherry Turkle has been warning that modern technology is scrambling our ability to live in the real world and feel empathy for fellow human beings.

From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2026

First to crawl onto the land were the beings of thought, First Woman and First Man.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young