beta

plural betas

1. countableuncountableThe second letter of the Greek alphabet (Β, β), preceded by alpha (Α, α) and followed by gamma, (Γ, γ). In modern Greek it represents the voiced labiodental fricative sound of v found in the English words have and vase.
2. countablerareuncountableeducationAn academic grade better than a gamma and worse than an alpha.

   Mr Taylor would hardly give a beta minus to one of his history students […]

   1964, Randolph Churchill, The Fight for the Tory Leadership: A Contemporary Chronicle, page 49

   2 more examples

   But let me tell you happy extroverts that only Vera Telfer and H. A. C. Evans got even an alpha minus; only T. E. Hendrie got a beta plus […]

   1957, R. Avery, “This Week’s Competition”, in Time & Tide, volume 38, number 1, page 184

   The English class was for me delightful. My essays, still written under the influence of Kubla Khan, nearly always got a beta plus.

   1979, Angus MacVicar, Silver in My Sporran: Confessions of a Writing Man, page 76

3. countableuncountablebusinessAverage sensitivity of a security's price to overall securities market prices.

   An inspection of the results indicate that Property Trusts is the lowest risk industry with a long-run beta of 0.4520 while Gold is the highest risk industry with a long-run beta of 1.5229.

   2001, Cheng-Few Lee, editor, Advances in Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management, volume 8, Elsevier, →ISBN, page 143

4. uncountablecomputingThe phase of development after alpha testing and before launch, in which software, while not complete, has been released to potential users for testing.

   The company is offering a public beta program to test the software.

5. countablecomputingSoftware in such a phase; a preliminary version.

   Before Evolve had even seen its first beta, the game's publisher dipped its toe into presenting it as an eSport.

   2015 February 14, Steven Strom, “Evolve Review: Middle of the food chain”, in Ars Technica

   3 more examples

   He quickly deduced our goal—ship a quality beta—but he also quickly discerned that we had no idea about the quality of the product because of our pile of untriaged bugs.

   2007, Michael Lopp, Managing Humans, page 107

   We will assume you got the .tgz version—later 2.x series versions such as 2.5.2 or 2.6.0 should be okay, provided they are production releases (not alphas, betas, or release candidates).

   2007, Mark Summerfield, Rapid GUI Programming with Python and Qt: The Definitive Guide to PyQt Programming, Pearson Education, →ISBN

   Apple is rolling out the public beta of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 on Thursday. We have a full (and lengthy) preview guide on both operating systems here, and now we’re breaking down how to get the public beta on your iPhone or iPad. These versions of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 are betas and don’t represent final software.

   2020 July 9, Jacob Krol, “Here’s how to get the iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 public beta”, in CNN

6. proscribeduncountablecomputingAny kind of content from early development that was not used in the final product.

   beta levels; beta characters; beta items in a video game

7. countableuncountableclimbingInformation about a route which may aid someone in climbing it.
8. countableuncountablenatural sciencesA beta particle or beta ray.
9. countableuncountableaeronauticsSideslip angle.
10. countableuncountableaeronauticsThe range of engine power settings in which the blade pitch angle of a constant-speed propeller is controlled directly by the angle of the engine's throttle lever (rather than varying with engine torque and airspeed to maintain a constant propeller RPM), allowing the propeller to be disked to generate high drag and slow the aircraft quickly.
11. alternativecountableuncountableAlternative spelling of betta (“fish in the genus Betta”).
12. abbreviationcountableellipsisslanguncountablegovernmentEllipsis of beta male, a man who is less competent or desirable than an alpha male.

    When they ride the cock carousel in preference to the responsible betas that they find so boring, well, we guess that they pay.

    2015, Stephen Jarosek, Tyrants of Matriarchy

    4 more examples

    “I guess in your psychological language of alpha males and beta males, I would be firmly in the camp that prefers the more laid-back betas,” she took a deep breath, “like your father.”

    2006, Catherine Mann, Blaze of Glory, Harlequin, published 2006, →ISBN

    “They want sexy, virile alpha males, yes? But that doesn't come with sensitive and loyal and all of that. That's a beta. A frickin' collie, Lola. […]

    2010, L. A. Banks, “Dog Tired (of the Drama!)”, in Kevin J. Anderson, editor, Blood Lite II: Overbite, Gallery Books, →ISBN, page 121

    She'd always had a thing for alpha males. Not that she had any intention of being bossed around, even if one had her best interests at heart. Her fascination with alphas was that they were a challenge. Betas didn't hold much of an appeal.

    2010, Terry Spear, Wolf Fever, Sourcebooks Casablanca, published 2010, →ISBN, page 24

    News of Harper-Mercer's murder spree, which killed ten, prompted speculation on neoreactionary forums that the long-awaited “beta uprising” of virginal shut-ins had begun. Not quite. But in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017, a large audience of Americans finally saw the real beta uprising in the violent Nazi rally that shut the city down

    2018, Corey Pein, Live Work Work Work Die

13. countableslanguncountablelifestyleIn omegaverse fiction, a person of a secondary sex similar to normal humans, lacking the biological drives of alphas and omegas but generally capable of bonding and mating with either.

    Betas are usually second in command to the reigning alpha, and omegas belong to the lowest caste of the social hierarchy.

    2018, Laura Campillo Arnaiz, “When the Omega Empath Met the Alpha Doctor: An Analysis of Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics in the Hannibal Fandom”, in Ashton Spacey, editor, The Darker Side of Slash Fan Fiction, page 119

    2 more examples

    Many A/B/O stories posit societies where biological imperatives divide people based on wolf pack hierarchies into sexual dominants (alphas), sexual submissives (omegas), and everyone else (betas).

    2013, Kristina Busse, “Pon Farr, Mpreg, Bonds, and the Rise of the Omegaverse”, in Anne Jamison, editor, Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World, page 317

    In ASD, the beta also functions as a contrast, as Yuri is assumed to be a beta before his first heat reveals his omega status.

    2017, Marianne Gunderson, "What is an omega? Rewriting sex and gender in omegaverse fanfiction", thesis submitted to the University of Oslo, page 99

1. not comparableIdentifying a molecular position in an organic chemical compound.
2. not comparableDesignates the second in an order of precedence.
3. not comparablecomputingPreliminary; prerelease. Refers to an incomplete version of a product released for initial testing.
4. not comparableobject or actionAssociated with the beta male/female archetype.

present singular third person betas · participle present betaing · participle past betaed · past betaed

1. computingTo preliminarily release computer software for initial testing prior to final release.
2. InternetTo beta-read a text.

   1999, sqira a., in alt.tv.x-files.creative http://groups.google.com/group/alt.tv.x-files.creative/msg/29d32d27e61755f2?dmode=source My thanks to Heather; who read it and betaed it. Thank you.

   3 more examples

   2000, Elizabeth Durack, quoted in Angelina I. Karpovich, “The Audience as Editor: The Role of Beta Readers in Online Fan Fiction Communities” (essay), in Karen Hellekson and Kristina Busse (editors), Fan Fiction and Fan Communities in the Age of the Internet, McFarland (2006), →ISBN, page 180, Beta’ing is time-consuming, so asking a lot of people to give you a detailed analysis isn’t the most polite thing to do.

   2002, Jane Davitt, in alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer.creative http://groups.google.com/group/alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer.creative/msg/9301606b391212c0?dmode=source The next part is written and beta'd (thanks, Jen!), ready to go but <shuffles feet> I haven't even started what should be the final part yet.

   2002, Karmen Ghia, in alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated http://groups.google.com/group/alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated/msg/8405f53e8acbb0c1?dmode=source I had the honor of betaing this story and as I was doing the first read through I had the odd, but lovely, experience when a story suspends the reader in its own rhythm and flow, its own reality.

plural betas

1. HinglishIndiaNorthPakistancolloquialcountableuncountablea term of endearment, used towards someone of equal or lower standing such as a friend or child, similar to brother or son

   Don't pick that up, beta, it's dirty.

1. abbreviationclippingClipping of Betamax

   The digital revolution is changing these rules, but as of this writing, generally you submit your music video to the network for review on Beta tape.

   2011, Anthony Q. Artis, The Shut Up and Shoot Freelance Video Guide

plural Betas

1. A member of Generation Beta.

   For the Betas, AI and robots will be a normal part of life for them.

   2024 December 31, Aliyya Sawadjaan, “Buhbye, Gen Alpha! Babies born from this moment on will be from Generation Beta”, in Daily Tribune, Makati: Concept and Information Group, Inc., archived from the original on 10 Apr 2025

   3 more examples

   With an estimated 90% of all online content expected to be generated in some way shape or form by AI by as early as 2026, theorists predict Betas will grow up in a world heavily fraught by deepfake content, truth will no longer be a fixed concept, and they will spend their lives searching for reality.

   2024 April, Lisa Morgan, “Move over Gen Alpha – is your business ready for the Artificials?”, in Toy World: The Business Magazine with a Passion for Toys, volume 13, number 8, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire: Alakat Publishing, page 22, column 2

   Members of Gen Z are the first digital natives, but individual experiences varied depending on their families’ economic circumstances, a barrier no longer applicable for the Betas, she [Melissa Clark-Reynolds] says.

   2025 January 18, Cherie Howie, “Generation Beta: What’s the future in health, tech, education and climate change for our newest Kiwis?”, in The New Zealand Herald, Auckland: New Zealand Media and Entertainment, →OCLC, archived from the original on 18 Jan 2025

   Millennials will almost certainly spend it on luxuries such as family homes and trying to retire before they are 90 (and the odd bit of avocado toast, of course) before they can pass it on to Betas.

   2025 January 31, Juliet Schooling Latter, “BLOG: Investing for Generation Beta”, in Yourmoney.com, London: AE3 Media Ltd, archived from the original on 31 Jan 2025

   Synonyms: Gen Beta, Generation Beta