being

[ bee-ing ]
See synonyms for being on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. substance or nature: of such a being as to arouse fear.

  2. something that exists: inanimate beings.

  3. a living thing: strange, exotic beings that live in the depths of the sea.

  4. a human being; person: the most beautiful being you could imagine.

  5. (initial capital letter) God.

  6. Philosophy.

    • that which has actuality either materially or in idea.

    • 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.

Origin of being

1
First recorded in1250–1300; be + -ing1

Other words from being

  • non·be·ing, noun, adjective
  • su·per·be·ing, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for being

being

/ (ˈbiːɪŋ) /


noun
  1. the state or fact of existing; existence

  2. essential nature; self: she put her whole being into the part

  1. something that exists or is thought to exist, esp something that cannot be assigned to any category: a being from outer space

  2. a person; human being

  3. (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

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.