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

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Etymology

Origin of being

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

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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

Stores were forced to throw out food that had spoiled or risked being spoiled and restock their refrigeration units with fresh items.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

Apollo CEO Marc Rowan doesn’t want his company being called “private equity.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

In March 2025, snow blanketed the icy terrain, consistent with March being the wettest month in the region.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026

The interest, formal and indicative offers were being evaluated "with a view to minimising uncertainty for Poundland's people and all relevant stakeholders."

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

Bags are being stowed, seats taken, earpieces inserted, travel pillows positioned.

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

“We AI developers have no right whatsoever to bring a new species of conscious beings into the world, even if some people may want to do it with AI welfare as a top priority.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

After a murder of crows kidnaps her little brother, a young girl ventures into an enchanted forest filled with talking animals and other magical beings, where a looming war will decide everyone's fate.

From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026

Stories involving miniature humanlike beings appear throughout folklore around the world.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026

As human beings began to organize themselves into sedentary, agrarian societies, they formed mutualistic relationships with the wildcats that prevented vermin from decimating their grain stores.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

The Fall had partly disrupted this perfect arrangement, forcing human beings to labour to survive; but the original architecture of the universe was still visible for all to see.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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