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being

noun

Simple meaning

the state of existing, or a living creature

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

beeing

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈbiɪŋ

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. A living creature.

  2. The state or fact of existing

    “A point of view gradually coming into being.”

  3. A living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently

  4. The state or fact of existence, consciousness, or life, or something in such a state.

  5. philosophy

    One's basic nature, or the qualities thereof; essence or personality.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
A1 · Beginner (estimated)
Frequency
Very Common
Typical Use
General English

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Common Patterns and Combinations

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human beingbeing given

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Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

  • organism

    A living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently.

  • life form

    Any specific living organism.

  • living thing

    An entity such as an animal, a plant, a fungus or a microorganism.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • for the time beingadverbCompound term

    Temporarily.

  • human beingnounCompound term

    Any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae characterized by superior intelligence, articulate speech, and erect carriage.

  • ill-beingnounCompound term

    Lack of prosperity or happiness or health.

  • animate beingnounCompound term

    A living organism characterized by voluntary movement.

  • mythical beingnounCompound term

    An imaginary being of myth or fable.

  • spiritual beingnounCompound term

    An incorporeal being believed to have powers to affect the course of human events.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: living creature

existence

Antonyms

Sense: living creature

nonexistencenonbeing

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.