Originated 1250–1300 from Middle English being; see be + -ing.
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) A living creature.
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. 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, “The Plain of Kôr”, in She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC, page 126:
(countable, uncountable) The state or fact of existence, consciousness, or life, or something in such a state.
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. 1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC:
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. 2019 November 12, Gal Koplewitz, “Amos Oz and the Politics of the Hebrew Language”, in The New Yorker:
1608-1634, John Webster (and perhaps Thomas Heywood), Appius and Virginia
Claudius, thou / Wast follower of his fortunes in his being.
(countable, uncountable) That which has actuality (materially or in concept).
(countable, uncountable) One's basic nature, or the qualities thereof; essence or personality.
(countable, obsolete, uncountable) An abode; a cottage.
It was a relief to dismiss them [Sir Roger's servants] into little beings within my manor. 1712 December 4 (Gregorian calendar), [Richard Steele], “SUNDAY, November 24, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 544; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume VI, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:
th ภาวะ (the state or fact of existence) · uk су́тність (a living creature) · ca ésser (the state or fact of existence) · fa هستی (the state or fact of existence) · sl bitje (the state or fact of existence) · sl bivanje (the state or fact of existence) · ar كَيْنُونَة (the state or fact of existence) · km ភាវៈរស់ (a living creature) · nl bestaan (the state or fact of existence) · fa بوش (the state or fact of existence) · nl wezen (a living creature) · sv existens (the state or fact of existence) · bg съществу́ване (the state or fact of existence) · he יצור (a living creature) · cs tvor (a living creature) · az varlıq (the state or fact of existence) · sh biće (a living creature) · ga beith (the state or fact of existence) · pl istota (a living creature) · la creatura (a living creature) · pl istnienie (the state or fact of existence) · cmn 生物 (a living creature) · ga dúil (a living creature) · et olemasolu (the state or fact of existence) · no vesen (a living creature) · bg създа́ние (a living creature) · cs stvoření (a living creature) · la natura (a living creature) · sv väsen (a living creature) · la caput (the state or fact of existence) · sl bitje (a living creature) · ru творе́ние (a living creature) · nmn ǃnáã (the state or fact of existence) · ar مَخْلُوق (a living creature) · mk постоење (the state or fact of existence) · be існава́нне (the state or fact of existence) · is tilvera (the state or fact of existence) · sv varelse (a living creature) · ru существова́ние (the state or fact of existence) · el ύπαρξη (the state or fact of existence) · cs bytí (the state or fact of existence) · sk tvor (a living creature) · mn ᠣᠷᠣᠰᠢᠬᠤᠢ (the state or fact of existence) · it esistenza (the state or fact of existence) · sh biće (the state or fact of existence) · eo esto (the state or fact of existence) · es criatura (a living creature) · sl obstajanje (the state or fact of existence) · pt criatura (a living creature) · da væsen (a living creature) · la vita (the state or fact of existence) · ru бытие́ (the state or fact of existence) · az məxluq (a living creature) · mnc ᡝᡵᡤᡝᠩᡤᡝ (a living creature) · fr être (the state or fact of existence) · sk bytosť (a living creature) · mhr вуй (the state or fact of existence) · lv esamība (the state or fact of existence) · sk bytosť (the state or fact of existence) · az varlıq (a living creature) · uk твари́на (a living creature) · pl stwór (a living creature) · ru существо́ (a living creature) · ar كَائِن (a living creature) · ko 생명체 (a living creature) · ja 存在 (the state or fact of existence) · liv lejā (a living creature) · is vera (a living creature) · el ον (a living creature) · bg същество́ (a living creature) · hy էակ (a living creature) · sk bytie (the state or fact of existence) · vo dabin (the state or fact of existence) · lv eksistence (the state or fact of existence) · ro ființă (the state or fact of existence) · hu lény (a living creature) · th สัต (the state or fact of existence) · pt ser (a living creature) · it creatura (a living creature) · mn ᠠᠬᠤᠢ (the state or fact of existence) · ro ființă (a living creature) · mi kaiaotanga (the state or fact of existence) · ba йәшәйеш (the state or fact of existence) · vo hijafäb (a living creature) · ru тварь (a living creature) · he בריה (a living creature) · ro făptură (a living creature) · es ente (a living creature) · et olend (a living creature) · fi olemassaolo (the state or fact of existence) · la essentia (the state or fact of existence) · de Sein (the state or fact of existence) · ca ésser (a living creature) · uk існува́ння (the state or fact of existence) · la salus (the state or fact of existence) · af wese (a living creature) · cs bytost (a living creature) · el πλάσμα (a living creature) · ro naștere (the state or fact of existence) · km ជន (a living creature) · id makhluk (a living creature) · es ser (a living creature) · cmn 存在 (the state or fact of existence) · la vis (the state or fact of existence) · de Wesen (a living creature) · zza estek (the state or fact of existence) · fr créature (a living creature) · da opstå (the state or fact of existence) · hu lét (ezés) (the state or fact of existence) · la animatum (a living creature) · lv radījums (a living creature) · ja 生き物 (a living creature) · pt existência (the state or fact of existence) · sl stvor (a living creature) · lv būtne (a living creature) · pl bycie (the state or fact of existence) · fi olento (a living creature) · mn оршихуй (the state or fact of existence) · ru созда́ние (a living creature) · kk болмыс (the state or fact of existence) · de Dasein (the state or fact of existence) · tl kamagingan (the state or fact of existence) · fa وجود (the state or fact of existence) · mn ᠠᠮᠢᠲᠠᠨ (a living creature) · tr yaratık (a living creature) · zza conawır (a living creature) · vec èsare (a living creature) · sh створење (a living creature) · rup yeatsã (a living creature) · mk суштество (a living creature) · mk битие (the state or fact of existence) · unm pèmhakamiksit (a living creature) · es existencia (the state or fact of existence) · sk vznik (the state or fact of existence) · la natura (the state or fact of existence) · sh створ (a living creature) · eo esteco (basic nature) · sh stvorenje (a living creature) · fr être (a living creature) · mn амьтан (a living creature) · be істо́та (a living creature) · ro creatură (a living creature) · vo jafäb (a living creature) · cs existence (the state or fact of existence) · it essere (a living creature) · la res (a living creature) · gv beays (the state or fact of existence) · be быццё (the state or fact of existence) · got 𐍅𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍃 (the state or fact of existence) · mi tauoranga (the state or fact of existence) · ga neach (a living creature) · ar كَوْن (the state or fact of existence) · vo jijafäb (a living creature) · ja 生物 (a living creature) · sh биће (the state or fact of existence) · swb shiumbe (a living creature) · no bli til (the state or fact of existence) · pl byt (the state or fact of existence) · lt būtybė (a living creature) · ro existență (the state or fact of existence) · sv tillvaro (the state or fact of existence) · cs život (the state or fact of existence) · fr existence (the state or fact of existence) · la ortus (the state or fact of existence) · he ישות (the state or fact of existence) · bg битие (the state or fact of existence) · be стварэ́нне (a living creature) · tr varlık (the state or fact of existence) · no det å være (the state or fact of existence) · id keberadaan (the state or fact of existence) · mn ахуй (the state or fact of existence) · uk істо́та (a living creature) · ko 존재 (the state or fact of existence) · sq Qënie (a living creature) · sk stvorenie (a living creature) · uk тварь (a living creature) · eo estaĵo (a living creature) · de Geschöpf (a living creature) · sh stvor (a living creature) · eo estulo (a living creature) · vi sinh vật (a living creature) · la salus (the state or fact of existence) · rup hiintsã (a living creature) · bg твар (a living creature) · hy գոյություն (the state or fact of existence) · lt egzistavimas (the state or fact of existence) · sh биће (a living creature) · uk створі́ння (a living creature) · ba барлыҡ (the state or fact of existence) · la ens (a living creature) · id ada (the state or fact of existence) · la animate (a living creature) · ka არსება (a living creature) · uk буття́ (the state or fact of existence) · no tilværelse (the state or fact of existence)