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:
Explanation
Well-being is a state of health, happiness, and contentment. Everyone wants to enjoy well-being. When things are going well in a person's life, she feels a sense of well-being. Being healthy, happy, and having friends are all signs of well-being, while if you lose your job or become seriously ill, others will be concerned about your well-being. People in dangerous jobs like soldiers or police officers often find their well-being in jeopardy. The word well-being is also a philosophical term, especially important in various kinds of moral philosophy.
Vocabulary lists containing well-being
"Earth and Space"
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Psychology
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for April 17–April 23, 2021
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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.
Fans and close friends have expressed concern for her well-being since she was released from a conservatorship.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
"Smell has a really profound and pervasive effect on human health, so restoring it is not just for pleasure and safety but also for psychological well-being," Datta said.
From Science Daily • Apr. 30, 2026
A 2025 internal document spotlighted YouTube’s “two biggest challenges” for teen well-being: low-quality recommendations that can “normalize unhealthy beliefs” and “prolonged unintentional use.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
The 15th Five-Year Plan, approved in March for 2026-2030, also leans heavily on public well-being, elderly care, childbirth support, and job creation, suggesting policymakers understand that consumption can’t be engineered only through discounts and rebates.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
Afterward, she felt filled with a sense of well-being, with something close to grace.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
