1
a
: the quality or state of having existence
a social movement that came into being in the 1960s
artistic form comes into being only when two elements are successfully fused—
Carlos Lynes
Carlos Lynes
b(1)
: something that is conceivable and hence capable of existing
(2)
: something that actually exists
(3)
: the totality of existing things
c
: conscious existence : life
2
: the qualities that constitute an existent thing : essence
I knew it was true in the core of my being.
especially
: personality
3
: a living thing
sentient beings
a mythical being
: present
—used in the phrase for the time being
plans to remain single for the time being
being
4 of 4present participle of be
Examples of being in a Sentence
Noun
a social movement that was brought into being in the 1960s
I knew it was true in the core of my being.
Conjunction
being as how I paid for lunch, I'd appreciate it if you picked up the tab for dinner
Recent Examples on the Web
Max G. Levy, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 June 2025
Well into his 70s, Wilson still made his fans move to his music and set their thousands of bodies swaying as one, so that an entire audience became a single being sending good vibrations across time and space.
—Patricia Schultheis, Baltimore Sun, 21 June 2025
Boone promises all of that and then some with pop songs that are silly and loving and just horny enough to justify his being shirtless on the album cover.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 20 June 2025
The naturalist explores rivers as living beings whose fate is tied with our own.
6.
—The California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for being
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Noun
In the last several years, researchers have discovered that living beings contribute more to Earth’s clouds than expected thanks to gases from plants and plankton, and sea spray that propels microorganisms and proteins skyward.
—Max G. Levy, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 June 2025
Well into his 70s, Wilson still made his fans move to his music and set their thousands of bodies swaying as one, so that an entire audience became a single being sending good vibrations across time and space.
—Patricia Schultheis, Baltimore Sun, 21 June 2025
Boone promises all of that and then some with pop songs that are silly and loving and just horny enough to justify his being shirtless on the album cover.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 20 June 2025
The naturalist explores rivers as living beings whose fate is tied with our own.
6.
—The California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for being
Cite this Entry
“Being.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/being. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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