born
1 Americanadjective
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brought forth by birth.
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possessing from birth the quality, circumstances, or character stated.
a born musician; a born fool.
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native to the locale stated; immigrated to the present place from the locale stated.
a German-born scientist; a Chicago-born New Yorker.
verb
idioms
noun
verb
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the past participle (in most passive uses) of bear 1
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is not gullible or foolish
adjective
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possessing or appearing to have possessed certain qualities from birth
a born musician
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being at birth in a particular social status or other condition as specified
ignobly born
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( in combination )
lowborn
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informal so far in one's life
noun
Usage
Care should be taken not to use born where borne is intended: he had borne (not born ) his ordeal with great courage ; the following points should be borne in mind
Commonly Confused
Since the latter part of the 18th century, a distinction has been made between born and borne as past participles of the verb bear1 . Borne is the past participle in all senses that do not refer to physical birth: The wheatfields have borne abundantly this year. Judges have always borne a burden of responsibility. Borne is also the participle when the sense is “to bring forth (young)” and the focus is on the mother rather than on the child. In such cases, borne is preceded by a form of have or followed by by: Anna had borne a son the previous year. Two children borne by her earlier were already grown. When the focus is on the offspring or on something brought forth as if by birth, born is the standard spelling, and it occurs only in passive constructions: My friend was born in Ohio. No children have been born at the South Pole. A strange desire was born of the tragic experience. Born is also an adjective meaning “by birth,” “innate,” or “native”: born free; a born troublemaker; Mexican-born.
Other Word Forms
- preborn adjective
- self-born adjective
Etymology
Origin of born
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English boren (past participle of beran “to give birth”), equivalent to bor- past participle stem + -en past participle suffix; bear 1, -en 3
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"It's senseless really, but I think it is born out of frustration," she said.
From BBC
Some said they were pleasantly surprised that their U.S.-born adult children, who had never set foot in Iran, seemed as elated by the news as they were.
From Los Angeles Times
James chimes in, saying it's his favourite constellation, as the region surrounding it is a part of space where stars are constantly being born.
From BBC
Adams, who was born in Falkirk, has worked as a journalist and presenter for nearly 40 years.
From BBC
His entries on Companies House say he was born in 1978.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
