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

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

A rattlesnake has bitten another hiker in Southern California, sending them to the hospital after being carried off the trail by firefighters over the weekend, according to Santa Barbara County officials.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

Anthropic has been on a nice little run of being a lot of things to a lot of people.

From Slate • Apr. 14, 2026

The IMF said: "Once again, the global economy is threatened with being thrown off course - this time by the outbreak of war in the Middle East at the end of February 2026."

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Read the fine print to make sure you are not being charged to claim the extension.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

It was like it was chasing me, wanting to hold me down, to keep what I now see from being exposed.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam