well-being

American

[wel-bee-ing] / ˈwɛlˈbi ɪŋ /

noun

a good or satisfactory condition of existence; a state characterized by health, happiness, and prosperity; welfare.

to influence the well-being of the nation and its people.

Usage

What does well-being mean? The well-being of someone or something is its welfare or overall condition or state of health. A high level of well-being means that the overall condition is healthy and positive.Well-being can also refer to a specific aspect of one’s health, and it is often preceded by words like mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and the like. Well-being is most often applied to people and communities but it can also be applied to things, especially organizations or institutions, such as a nation, economy, or educational system. It is sometimes spelled without the hyphen (well being) or as one word (wellbeing).Example: I hate to call out sick so close to my deadline, but I’m trying to prioritize my well-being instead of constantly pushing myself.

Etymology

Origin of well-being

First recorded in 1605–15

Compare meaning

How does well-being compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

wellness vs. well-being

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.

Depriving yourself of that joy — especially during a time when there’s already less daylight and more gloom — is simply a disservice to your overall well-being.

From Salon

Accommodations don’t work for every profession, especially those involving the well-being of others.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Health newsletter is your weekly guide to all the news that affects your health and well-being.

From The Wall Street Journal

This idea should be at the heart of every business decision, Corcoran added, saying that “hiring happy people” is a big step toward ensuring the success of a company—and the well-being of its employees.

From MarketWatch

“I’ve always been passionate about fitness, and working out has been critical for my well-being and feeling safe, feeling confident and feeling good in my body. I wanted to bring that to L.A.,” says Rypinski.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023