being

[bee-ing]

noun

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.

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

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• nonbeing noun
• superbeing noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of being¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

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

Example Sentences

He ends up being held hostage by a couple of the locals while his kid procures what he’s looking for and almost gets into serious trouble herself.

From Salon

When asked earlier on Tuesday if Grijalva was not being sworn in to prevent a vote on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein case files, Johnson said it wasn’t connected to Epstein “at all.”

From Salon

Another user in southern Kandahar province, who runs a private business, said his fibre optic internet had been cut off since Tuesday but mobile phone data was working, with Facebook and Instagram being "severely slow".

From BBC

Four people have died after a six-storey building which was being refurbished partially collapsed in the centre of the Spanish capital, Madrid.

From BBC

Meanwhile, we'd see images of Ghana walking out of their hotel, being mobbed by fans.

From BBC