being
the fact of existing; existence (as opposed to nonexistence).
conscious, mortal existence; life: Our being is as an instantaneous flash of light in the midst of eternal night.
substance or nature: of such a being as to arouse fear.
something that exists: inanimate beings.
a living thing: strange, exotic beings that live in the depths of the sea.
a human being; person: the most beautiful being you could imagine.
(initial capital letter) God.
Philosophy.
that which has actuality either materially or in idea.
absolute existence in a complete or perfect state, lacking no essential characteristic; essence.
Nonstandard. since; because; considering that (often followed by as, as how, or that): Being it's midnight, let's go home.Being as how you cooked supper, I'll do the dishes.
Origin of being
1Other words from being
- non·be·ing, noun, adjective
- su·per·be·ing, noun
Words Nearby being
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use being in a sentence
In 2011 LGBT media outlet Queerty took the app to task for allegedly deleting accounts that made reference to being trans.
Why, some might be asking, am I being so harsh on their work so soon after they died?
“Having been a legislator and a mayor, I particularly enjoy being a chief executive,” he said.
The Golden State Preps for the ‘Red Wedding’ of Senate Races | David Freedlander | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTHowever, more than 20 players on the ballot this year were probably worthy of being enshrined in Cooperstown.
Conservative Curt Says His Politics, Not His Pitching, Kept Him Out of the Hall of Fame | Ben Jacobs | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST“I do not support gay marriages being recognized in Florida,” he wrote Andrew Walther of Sanford.
He remembered something—the cherished pose of being a man plunged fathoms-deep in business.
St. Martin's Summer | Rafael SabatiniOther things being equal, the volume of voice used measures the value that the mind puts upon the thought.
Expressive Voice Culture | Jessie Eldridge SouthwickThe people here retained the same paganism and barbarity, only they were not so dangerous, being conquered by the Muscovites.
And having an enormous appetite he was fortunate in being expert at finding angleworms.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott BaileyJudge or sheriff, it was all one to them, each being equally terrible in their eyes.
The Bondboy | George W. (George Washington) Ogden
British Dictionary definitions for being
/ (ˈbiːɪŋ) /
the state or fact of existing; existence
essential nature; self: she put her whole being into the part
something that exists or is thought to exist, esp something that cannot be assigned to any category: a being from outer space
a person; human being
(in the philosophy of Aristotle) actuality: Compare becoming (def. 3)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with being
see for the moment (time being); other things being equal.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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