# BAE

/ˈbaɪ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bae
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. romantic partner

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

a slang word for your boyfriend, girlfriend, or someone you love.

For teachers: a term of endearment for a romantic partner, often interpreted as an acronym for 'before anyone else'.

- I am going to the cinema with my bae tonight.
- The term bae became a ubiquitous social media descriptor for romantic partners before its popularity began to wane in formal discourse.

Usage: Usually used without a possessive pronoun in very casual digital contexts, though 'my bae' is also common.

### 2. British Aerospace

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

Stands for British Aerospace.

For teachers: Abbreviation for British Aerospace, a major British defence and security company now known as BAE Systems.

- He got a job as an engineer at BAE after he finished university.
- BAE Systems remains a cornerstone of the UK's defence industry, maintaining significant contracts with the Ministry of Defence.

### 3. Ecuadorian ship prefix

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

Stands for Buque de la Armada del Ecuador.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Buque de la Armada del Ecuador; the official ship prefix used by the Navy of Ecuador.

- The BAE Guayas is a famous sailing ship used for training.
- The naval vessel was identified by the prefix BAE, indicating its status within the Ecuadorian fleet.

Usage: Placed before the name of the ship.

## Examples

- I'm going to the movies with my bae tonight.
- She posted a picture of her and her bae on vacation, and it quickly got hundreds of likes.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.