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

Bell is 6 feet 1, 185 pounds and loves being left-handed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

The amount of money being thrown around by tech oligarchs is staggering — however, it’s important to remember that this is a sign of weakness.

From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026

"We've sort of given up because there's nowhere for us to turn. It feels like she's being protected rather than the victims."

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

It was great being in that special group.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Pause: to make sure it’s the right person being chased, not someone of slightly similar features.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

These giant computer campuses, which are mostly void of human beings, have become a focal point of the growing revolt against an increasingly predatory tech industry.

From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026

There’s nothing more riveting on stage than the truth, and here we have human beings in all their flagrant, unadorned and seemingly irreconcilable complications.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

"I believe that only then will we be able to begin to heal and move forward -- not as adversaries, but as human beings and as peoples equal in dignity."

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

Human beings have, throughout history, opportunistically eaten almost any edible thing that they could get their hands on.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Percy was no more than a minor annoyance to these immortal beings.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan