well-being
Americannoun
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:
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.
This wealth gap suggests that for many boomers, wasteful spending habits could have a meaningful impact on their financial well-being.
From MarketWatch
The Health newsletter takes you inside what’s new in health, medicine and personal well-being.
Officers will be able to ask groups of two or more to leave the designated area if their behaviour is "impacting on the safety and well-being" of others.
From BBC
They report that caregiving has a more negative than positive impact on a person’s emotional well-being, physical health, financial situation, career and social life.
From MarketWatch
During the Season 6 reunion, which aired Jan. 20, Mary Cosby expressed concern over her son’s well-being and her fears that he would die.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
