calling
noun
Simple meaning
The particular occupation for which you are trained.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
kawlingSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈkɔlɪŋ
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.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The particular occupation for which you are trained
“Her calling in life was to help others as a medical professional.”
A strong urge (to do some particular thing with or in one's life, for example to become religious, to help the poor, or to be an entertainer).
A job or occupation.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The particular occupation for which you are trained
Used this way, calling is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Her calling in life was to help others as a medical professional.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “calling in …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: calling in …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use calling
- “He felt a strong calling to help people in need.”noun
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
Assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
A social or business visitor.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A card that is used instead of cash to make telephone calls.
A challenge to defend what someone has said.
The act of convoking.
Verbal abuse.
A way of adding a third party to your conversation without the assistance of a telephone operator.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
A way of letting you know that someone else is calling when you are using your telephone.
A small display that will show you the telephone number of the party calling you.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “calling” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
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.