: 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 Many a would-be dominator of the racetrack or the boulevard face-off has been spanked silly by a Corvette, red or otherwise. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024 Congress amended the rule to its current form through the Insanity Defense Reform Act of 1984 in response to the acquittal of President Ronald Reagan’s would-be assassin, John Hinckley Jr. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2024 Thankfully, most modern cruise ships have sophisticated stabilizer systems which significantly curtail pitch and roll, even in rough seas—leaving many would-be sufferers almost unaware of any movement from the ship at all. Scott Laird, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Mar. 2024 One of their first attempts at doing so sans cameras happened to fall on their would-be wedding day. Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024 In another life, some of those would-be couples who never met in 2020 could have gotten engaged this year. Samantha Delouya, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024 In 2022, for example, more than 600 children applied for 40 spots in one program — leaving many would-be campers out in the proverbial cold. Marisa Iati, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 But, when the system faces a real crisis, the state’s institutions and would-be protectors go silent. Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2024 But the state’s big investment has had mixed success — particularly in recruitment, because so few would-be teachers can afford such programs, WestEd researchers have found. Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'would-be.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of would-be was in 1647

Dictionary Entries Near would-be

Cite this Entry

“Would-be.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/would-be. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

would-be

adjective
ˌwu̇d-ˌbē
: desiring, intending, or pretending to be
a would-be poet
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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