well-being
Americannoun
Usage
What does well-being mean? The well-being of someone or something is its welfare or overall condition or state of health. A high level of well-being means that the overall condition is healthy and positive.Well-being can also refer to a specific aspect of one’s health, and it is often preceded by words like mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and the like. Well-being is most often applied to people and communities but it can also be applied to things, especially organizations or institutions, such as a nation, economy, or educational system. It is sometimes spelled without the hyphen (well being) or as one word (wellbeing).Example: I hate to call out sick so close to my deadline, but I’m trying to prioritize my well-being instead of constantly pushing myself.
Etymology
Origin of well-being
First recorded in 1605–15
Compare meaning
How does well-being compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
Power and policy are not abstractions — they impact real people’s bodies, minds and lives, and they affect the well-being of the larger community.
From Salon
He was fascinated not only by the science behind them, but by the profilers themselves, and the effects their proximity to evil had on their well-being.
From Los Angeles Times
He said he continued to pray for peace, diplomacy and the “well-being of peoples, who yearn for peaceful existence founded on justice,” according to a translated statement.
From Los Angeles Times
It’s becoming comical: chief heart, well-being and happiness officers, even chief vibes and inspiration officers.
Research involving Chinese nurses reported similar associations in adults, linking regular bubble tea consumption to anxiety, depression, fatigue, job burnout, and lower overall well-being, even after accounting for other variables.
From Science Daily
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.
