being

[ bee-ing ]

noun

1. the fact of existing; existence (as opposed to nonexistence).
2. conscious, mortal existence; life:

   Our being is as an instantaneous flash of light in the midst of eternal night.

3. substance or nature:

   of such a being as to arouse fear.

4. something that exists:

   inanimate beings.

5. a living thing:

   strange, exotic beings that live in the depths of the sea.

6. a human being; person:

   the most beautiful being you could imagine.

7. (initial capital letter) God.
8. Philosophy.
   1. that which has actuality either materially or in idea.
   2. absolute existence in a complete or perfect state, lacking no essential characteristic; essence.

conjunction

1. 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.

being

/ ˈbiːɪŋ /

noun

1. the state or fact of existing; existence
2. essential nature; self

   she put her whole being into the part

3. something that exists or is thought to exist, esp something that cannot be assigned to any category

   a being from outer space

4. a person; human being
5. (in the philosophy of Aristotle) actuality Compare becoming

Other Words From

• non·being noun adjective
• super·being noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of being¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; be + -ing ¹

Idioms and Phrases

see for the moment (time being) ; other things being equal .

Example Sentences

Teal died in North Carolina after being diagnosed in April with Stage 4 neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer, his agent Susan Tolar Walters said in a statement to The Times.

From Los Angeles Times

The county audit, ordered by the Board of Supervisors in February, is separate from an audit of L. A. city homelessness programs being conducted under the auspices of federal court in the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

Sustainable agriculture is being discussed at the UN's climate summit, Cop29, in Azerbaijan this week.

From Salon

From a personal finance perspective, consider being mindful of what's happening with tariffs and be prepared to change consumption if prices start to rise, without getting too ahead of yourself in terms of anticipatory overspending.

From Salon

But the tough carbon-fluorine bonds in the compounds resist being torn apart, leading to expensive remediation schemes that rely on powerful chemicals and high temperatures and pressures.

From Science Magazine