What does "bearing" mean?
A mechanical device that supports another part or reduces friction.
Bearing
/ˈbɛɹɪŋ/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A mechanical device that supports another part or reduces friction.
- Grammar: bearing is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: comportment, abide, abutment, act.
- Useful contrasts: nonbearing, abort, avoid.
- Usage evidence: Your conduct is beyond bearing.
How to use "bearing"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bearing" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bearing" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bearing" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bearing" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bearing" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "comportment" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bearing", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A mechanical device that supports another part or reduces friction.
- 2 a rotating support placed between moving parts to allow them to move easily wordnet
- 3 The horizontal angle between the direction of an object and another object, or between it and that of true north; a heading or direction.
"This volume would have been at least twice as large, if I had not made bold to strike out innumerable passages relating to the winds and tides, as well as to the variations and bearings in the several voyages, together with the minute descriptions of the management of the ship in storms, in the style of sailors; likewise the account of longitudes and latitudes; [...]"
- 4 heraldry consisting of a design or image depicted on a shield wordnet
- 5 One's understanding of one's orientation or relative position, literally or figuratively. especially, in-plural
"Do we go left here or straight on? Hold on, let me just get my bearings."
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 dignified manner or conduct wordnet
- 7 Relevance; a relationship or connection.
"That has no bearing on this issue."
- 8 characteristic way of bearing one's body wordnet
- 9 One's posture, demeanor, or manner.
"She walks with a confident, self-assured bearing."
- 10 the direction or path along which something moves or along which it lies wordnet
- 11 That part of any member of a building which rests upon its supports.
"A lintel or beam may have four inches of bearing upon the wall."
- 12 relevant relation or interconnection wordnet
- 13 The portion of a support on which anything rests.
- 14 The unsupported span. proscribed
"The beam has twenty feet of bearing between its supports."
- 15 Any single emblem or charge in an escutcheon or coat of arms.
"Holonyms: shield, escutcheon"
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of bear form-of, gerund, participle, present
Adjective
- 1 That bears (some specified thing). in-compounds, not-comparable
"a gift-bearing visitor"
- 2 Of a beam, column, or other device, carrying weight or load. not-comparable
"That's a bearing wall."
Adjective
- 1 (of a structural member) withstanding a weight or strain wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"Your conduct is beyond bearing."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bearing"?
Common synonyms include: comportment, abide, abutment, act, action, actions.
How do you use "bearing" in a sentence?
Your conduct is beyond bearing.
How do you pronounce "bearing"?
Pronounced /ˈbɛɹɪŋ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English beringe, berynge, berende, berande, berand, from Old English berende (“bearing; fruitful”) (also as synonym Old English bǣrende), from Proto-Germanic *berandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *beraną (“to bear; carry”), equivalent to bear + -ing.
Etymology 2
From Middle English bering, beringe, berynge, equivalent to bear + -ing.