being

American  

[bee-ing] / ˈbi ɪŋ /

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.

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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

• nonbeing noun
• superbeing noun

Etymology

Origin of being

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

Example Sentences

"Last year we had an awfully dry summer which impacted yields drastically so now with our energy prices being hit like they have, it just feels like one thing after another."

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Moreover, J&J is one of few players in psychiatry, which Cowen views as a “historically attractive category being revitalized by novel mechanisms.”

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Lamarre said he hasn’t really seen crypto being used at scale in oil trades.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

A wedding is being celebrated in Helsinki in the 2000s; at the same time, seven people existing in the “world of memory” recall a tragic event that took place 10 years earlier.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Then they were all running along past her, the truck was bouncing, being bumped by this huge herd, this family of bison, this clan.

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