date
noun
a particular month, day, and year at which some event happened or will happen.
had been dating
-
past perfect progressiveof date.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While she has yet to comment on that romance, sources told People magazine in April that the couple had been dating since the end of 2025 and that they were “taking things slow.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 1, 2026
According to a police affidavit, Ortiz had been dating Hatley and Cynthia at the same time.
From Slate ● Apr. 6, 2026
A Chinese man who cryogenically froze his dead wife has sparked an online moral debate after Chinese media revealed he had been dating a new girlfriend as his former partner lay preserved in liquid nitrogen.
From BBC ● Nov. 18, 2025
She was pursuing an online psychology degree, and had been dating Charron, an Air Force veteran, for just a few months.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2025
He had been dating her for over a year but had not brought her home before.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
