# being

/ˈbiɪŋ/ (US) · /bˈiːɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/being
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a living creature

noun · CEFR B1

a living person or creature.

For teachers: a sentient or living entity, often used to refer to humans or hypothetical life forms.

- The film is about a strange being from another planet.
- The philosopher argued that every sentient being deserves a basic level of respect and protection under the law.

### 2. existence

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

the state of existing or being alive.

For teachers: the state or quality of having existence or objective reality.

- The ancient ruins have been in being for over two thousand years.
- The debate centered on whether mathematical truths have a real being independent of human thought.

### 3. inner self

noun · CEFR B2 · Literary

your deepest nature or personality.

For teachers: the essential nature or core character of a person.

- She felt a sense of peace in her whole being.
- The trauma seemed to affect his very being, altering his outlook on life in ways his friends could barely recognize.

### 4. present participle of be

verb · CEFR A2

the form of the verb 'to be' used for continuous actions.

For teachers: the present participle and gerund of the copula 'be', used in progressive aspects and as a verbal noun.

- You are being very helpful today.
- Despite being exhausted from the flight, the delegates insisted on attending the opening ceremony to show their support.

## Examples

- Every human being deserves respect.
- The scientist wondered if there was any other intelligent being in the universe.
- The poet wrote that the loss of his home shook the very core of his being, altering his perspective on life forever.

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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.