be

1 of 5

verb

past tense first- and third-person singular was ˈwəz How to pronounce be (audio)
ˈwäz
; past tense second-person singular were ˈwər How to pronounce be (audio) ; past tense plural were; past subjunctive were; past participle been ˈbin How to pronounce be (audio) ˈben How to pronounce be (audio)
chiefly British
ˈbēn How to pronounce be (audio)
; present participle being ˈbē(-i)ŋ How to pronounce be (audio) ; present tense first-person singular am
əm,
ˈam How to pronounce be (audio)
; present tense second-person singular are ˈär How to pronounce be (audio)
ər
; present tense third-person singular is ˈiz How to pronounce be (audio)
əz
; present tense plural are; present subjunctive be

intransitive verb

1
a
: to equal in meaning : have the same connotation as : symbolize
January is the first month.
let x be 10
b
: to have identity with : to constitute the same idea or object as
The first person I met was my brother.
c
: to constitute the same class as
These three books are the authoritative works on the president's life.
d
: to have a specified qualification or characterization
The leaves are green.
e
: to belong to the class of
The fish is a trout.
Keeping this room clean is your responsibility.

Note: In senses 1a through 1e, be functions as a simple copula or linking verb.

2
a
: to have an objective existence : have reality or actuality : live
I think, therefore I am.
b
: to have, maintain, or occupy a place, situation, or position
The book is on the table.
c
: to remain unmolested, undisturbed, or uninterrupted
used only in the infinitive form
Let him be.
d
: to take place : occur
The concert was last night.
e
: to come or go
has already been and gone
has never been to the circus
f
archaic : belong, befall
… to thine and Albany's issue be this perpetual.William Shakespeare

auxiliary verb

1
used as an auxiliary (see auxiliary entry 2 sense 3) with the past participle of transitive verbs to form the passive voice
The money was found.
The house is being built.
2
used as the auxiliary of the present participle in progressive tenses expressing continuous action
He is reading.
I have been sleeping.
3
used with the past participle of some intransitive verbs as an auxiliary forming archaic perfect tenses
… Christ is risen from the dead …1 Corinthians 15:20 (Douay Version)
4
used with to + infinitive to express futurity, arrangement in advance, or obligation
I am to interview him today.
She was to become famous.
5
or less commonly bes or be's
used in the uninflected form be or sometimes the form bes or be's in African American English and to varying degrees in some other varieties of English to indicate that an action or state is habitual or frequent
I be singing in the shower.
… they be bothering you while you try and do your work. …unidentified African American English speaker, quoted in The Corpus of Regional African American Language
It bes that way.
We learned to slide out of one language and into another without being conscious of the effort. At school, in a given situation, we might respond with "That's not unusual." But in the street, meeting the same situation, we easily said "It be's like that sometimes."Maya Angelou

Note: In linguistics, this use is referred to as aspectual be, habitual be, or invariant be. It usually occurs in the uninflected form be, as in the first two examples above; however, in African American English in particular, it sometimes takes the form bes or be's.

compare BEEN

Be

2 of 5

symbol

beryllium

3 of 5

abbreviation (1)

Baumé

BE

4 of 5

abbreviation (2)

1
bachelor of education
2
bachelor of engineering
3
bill of exchange
4
5

be-

5 of 5

prefix

1
: on : around : over
besmear
2
: to a great or greater degree : thoroughly
befuddle
3
: excessively : ostentatiously
in intensive verbs formed from simple verbs
bedeck
and in adjectives based on adjectives ending in -ed
beribboned
4
: about : to : at : upon : against : across
bestride
5
: make : cause to be : treat as
belittle
befriend
6
: call or dub especially excessively
bedoctor
7
: affect, afflict, treat, provide, or cover with especially excessively
bedevil
befog

Examples of be in a Sentence

Verb stories that begin with the familiar line “once upon a time there was a beautiful maiden” we'll be there waiting for you
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
If there were any doubts about what the Playoff would do for rivalry games, they were answered (again) in the third quarter. Kennington Smith Iii, The Athletic, 1 Dec. 2024 There are a few telltale signs that San Antonio's holiday season is in full swing. Cat Cardenas, Southern Living, 30 Nov. 2024 Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistic's current population survey estimated that in July 2023, there were 11.7 irregular migrants living in the country, up 800,000 on the figure for July 2022. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2024 Shop More Vogue Editors Black Friday Picks There are wish lists, and then there are Vogue editor wish lists. Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 30 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for be 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English bēon; akin to Old High German bim am, Latin fui I have been, futurus about to be, fieri to become, be done, Greek phynai to be born, be by nature, phyein to produce

Prefix

Middle English, from Old English bi-, be-; akin to Old English by, near — more at by

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of be was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near be

Cite this Entry

“Be.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/be. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

be

1 of 2 verb
past 1st & 3rd singular was (ˈ)wəz How to pronounce be (audio)
ˈwäz
; 2nd singular were (ˈ)wər How to pronounce be (audio) ; plural were; past subjunctive were; past participle been (ˈ)bin How to pronounce be (audio)
 chiefly British  (ˈ)bēn
; present participle being ˈbē-iŋ How to pronounce be (audio) ; present 1st singular am əm How to pronounce be (audio)
(ˈ)am
; 2nd singular are ər How to pronounce be (audio)
(ˈ)är
; 3rd singular is (ˈ)iz How to pronounce be (audio)
əz
; plural are; present subjunctive be
1
a
: to have the same meaning as : serve as a sign for
January is the first month
let x be 10
b
: to have identity with
the first person I met was my brother
she is my mother
c
: to have the quality or character of
the leaves are green
d
: to belong to the class of
the fish is a trout
apes are mammals
2
a
: exist sense 1, live
I think, therefore I am
there once was a knight
b
: to occupy a place, situation, or position
the book is on the table
I was sick
c
: to remain undisturbed or uninterrupted
used only in infinitive form
let it be
d
: to take place : occur
the concert was last night
3
used with the past participle of transitive verbs to form the passive auxiliary
the money was found
the house is being built
4
used with the present participle to express continuous action
they are studying
I have been sleeping
5
used with the infinitive with to to express the future or something one must do
she was to become famous
I am to leave today

be-

2 of 2 prefix
1
: on : around : over
besmear
2
: provide with or cover with : dress up with
bejewel
bewhiskered
3
: about : to : upon
bemoan
4
: make : cause to be
belittle
befriend
Etymology

Prefix

Old English be-, bi- "on, over"

Medical Definition

1 of 3 abbreviation
Baumé

Be

2 of 3 symbol
beryllium

BE

3 of 3 abbreviation
1
barium enema
2
below elbow
3
board-eligible

More from Merriam-Webster on be

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