: the quality, state, or condition of having existence
It has a crystalline, heartbreaking purity, that ontological beauty … of each object resonating in its beingness …—Phillip 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
The Ultimate Dictionary Awaits
Expand your vocabulary and dive deeper into language with Merriam-Webster Unabridged.
Expanded definitions
Detailed etymologies
Advanced search tools
All ad-free
Discover what makes Merriam-Webster Unabridged the essential choice
for true word lovers.
Copy Citation
