being — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A living creature.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   Minute grew into minute, and still there was no sign of life, nor did the curtain move; but I felt the gaze of the unknown being sinking through and through me, and filling me with a nameless terror, till the perspiration stood in beads upon my brow.

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

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   1608-1634, John Webster (and perhaps Thomas Heywood), Appius and Virginia Claudius, thou / Wast follower of his fortunes in his being.

   More examples (2)

   For the service to be considered was not the service of one servant, but of two servants, and even of three servants, and even of an infinity of servants, of whom the first could not out till the second up, nor the second up till the third in, nor the third in till the first out, nor the first out till the third in, nor the third in till the second up, nor the second up till the first out, every going, every being, every coming consisting with a being and a coming, a coming and a going, a going and a being, nay with all the beings and all the comings, with all the comings and all the goings, with all the goings and all the beings, of all the servants that had ever served Mr. Knott, of all the servants that ever would serve Mr. Knott.

   The written word, he often argued, could only ever be a low-fidelity reproduction of the fullness of being; any text was ultimately humbled by the reality that it sought to represent.

3. That which has actuality (materially or in concept).

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

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

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

5. An abode; a cottage.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Obsolete
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   It was a relief to dismiss them [Sir Roger's servants] into little beings within my manor.

Conjunction

1. Given that; since.

   Synonyms

   asbecauseseeing that

   Related words

   amareartbebeenbeestiswaswastwerewert

   Examples

   ’Tis a hard matter therefore to confine them, being they are so various and many […].

Noun

1. the state or fact of existing

   Synonyms

   beingnessexistenceface of the earth

   Antonyms

   nonbeing

   Broader terms

   state

   Examples

   a point of view gradually coming into being

   laws in existence for centuries

   More examples (1)

   he appeared on the face of the earth one day

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

   Synonyms

   organism

   Broader terms

   living thinganimate thingcausal agentcausecausal agency