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

"The way Martinelli is being treated at the moment, it really makes me feel uncomfortable," former Arsenal striker Wright told Sky Sports.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Media reported a TikTok account belonging to the youth was being investigated.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Now the ideal man looks like he was assembled by Marvel Studios, before being buffed with an orbital sander.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

To investigate whether Roseburia might directly influence muscle strength rather than simply being associated with it, the researchers conducted an experiment involving 32 mice.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026

I go on to ask him about the Confederate flag being taken down.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Joe Root called on his England players to be "really good role models and human beings" at the start of his second reign as Test captain.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

"I would like people to see dogs as emotional beings," says Cuaya.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

Laforteza’s announcement followers similar decisions from actor-musician Ariana Grande, who told fans earlier this week that she would be stepping away from the public eye and that “human beings can need a break sometimes.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Total domination attacked this fragile construction at its root, making human beings superfluous and sweeping them into an ideological process whose terrible boast was, in her phrase, “everything is possible.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Soon, it was thick enough that its leaves were big and strong enough to support the weight of all the beings.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young