would-be

adjective

ˈwu̇d-ˈbē 

: desiring, intending, professing, or having the potential to be

tips for would-be mothers and fathers

The conference, held over the Labor Day weekend, drew 1200 to 1300 writers and would-be writers to the Hawaiian island this year …

—John F. Baker

Possibly the most hilarious and outrageous character was Joey Tribbiani, a would-be actor who struggles to find success in his chosen profession …

—The Cheat Sheet

She's a clueless, would-be do-gooder without much self-awareness.

—Maureen Ryan

Examples of would-be in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The investigators noted there are strong economic incentives for a would-be monopolist to charge higher prices to potential clients. — Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 20 July 2026

Our would-be socialist people in the United States should be much more knowledgeable about how things work in countries like Norway. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026

All is grey here save the blood of the would-be rapists and the leaves against the sky. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Over that time, O’Mara saw the value of the home rise from $21,300 and barely habitable when it was purchased to a recent offer by a would-be buyer of $350,000, following the death of his wife, Patricia, in February. — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

would-be

adjective

ˌwu̇d-ˌbē

: desiring, intending, or pretending to be

a would-be poet