beingness

noun

be·​ing·​ness
ˈbē(-i)ŋ-nəs
: the quality, state, or condition of having existence
It has a crystalline, heartbreaking purity, that ontological beauty … of each object resonating in its beingnessPhillip Lopate, Slate Magazine, 19 Mar. 2001
Blue collar or white, teacher or cabbie, her friends judge her and themselves by their beingness. Nora Watson, a young journalist, recounts a party game: Who Are You? Older people respond with their job titles: I'm a copy writer. I'm an accountant. The young say: I'm me, my name is so-and-so.Studs Terkel, New York Times, 19 Mar. 1973

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Cite this Entry

“Beingness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beingness. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

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