English Reference
verb · adjective

born

v. · adj.
US /ˈbɔɹn/ UK /bˈɔːn/ born

  1. 01 A1 Beginner

    v.to come out of your mother's body at the start of your life.

    v.the past participle of 'bear' used almost exclusively in the passive voice to denote the beginning of life.

    Simple

    The twin sisters were born on a very cold day in January.

    In context

    He was born into a family of musicians, which meant he was surrounded by classical performances from his earliest infancy.

    Usage

    Almost always used in the passive voice with the verb 'to be'.

    Pitfall
    I was borned in 1995. I was born in 1995.

    The word 'born' is already a past form; do not add '-ed' to it.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.having a certain quality or ability from the moment you are born.

    adj.possessing a specific quality, character, or talent innately or by nature.

    Simple

    She is a born leader who always knows how to help the team.

    In context

    The coach quickly realized that the young striker was a born athlete, possessing a level of coordination that usually takes years to develop.

    Usage

    Usually placed before the noun it describes.

Usage born every year


A variant of Bourne.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Very common
Updated