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.
"I have grave concerns that smartphone culture is affecting the development of children's brains and as well as their well-being," he told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
Initial impacts of the legislation "suggest it is not meeting its objectives of increasing the safety and well-being of young Australians", Meta argued in January.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
Scott claims that the injections have lifted Christine’s mood and improved her general well-being.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
Overcoming years of principled resistance to monitoring my absence of well-being didn’t even require lifting a finger.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
The blind man, Seer, made his way through the lanes of Village, checking on the populace, assessing the well-being of each individual.
From "Messenger" by Lois Lowry
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.
