Meanings
been1
- participlepastpast participle of be.
Postman been?
3 more examples
All the fries have been eaten.
We're safe, but the car's been totaled.
They been here since yesterday. (dialectal, e.g. AAVE, omitting have)
- Southern US or African-American Vernacularremote past form of be.
He been had that job.
2 more examples
We been knew they was doing this.
She was disloyal, Casper was disloyal, so them muthafuckas gotta go. Like you said[,] we been knew we was going to have to kill Frost, so let's do it and Light too.” Star said. “Say no more. I'ma handle Kisha myself.” Max said walking to the door.
2013, DayQuan Miller, Back Blocks, StealthMode Entertainment, page 147
been2
- rareSouthern US or African-American VernacularSynonym of be (infinitival sense).
It useta been five foot long.
3 more examples
"Bones", says he, "I tink dey's a-goin' to been a war ober de Alabamy question[…]
1875, Minstrel Gags and End Men's Hand-book, New York: Dick and Fitzgerald, page 83; republished New York: Literature House, 1969Yur a boald 'un to tell the missus theer to hur feeace as how ya wur 'tossicatit whan ya owt to been duing yur larful business.
1888, Mary Augusta Ward, “Book I”, in Robert Elsmere, London: Macmillan and Company, page 20[…]But one time it use' to been so cold right first of the winter.
1966, DARE Tape SC10, quotee, “be v”, in Frederic G. Cassidy, Joan Houston Hall, editors, Dictionary of American Regional English, volume 1, Harvard University Press, published 1985, page 178Synonyms: be
been3
- obsoletepluralpresentplural simple present of be.
Where when men been, there's ſeldome eaſe,
c. 1607–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, [George Wilkins?], The Late, and Much Admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: […] [William White and Thomas Creede] for Henry Gosson, […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act II, prologue]4 more examples
My love is fair, my love is gay, / As fresh as been the flowers in May;
1584, George Peele, The Arraignment of Paris, I, iiTheſe Beaſtes been of higheſt Regard and Price / To pleaſure Princes and to murder vice.
1606, N[athaniel] B[axter], Sir Philip Sydneys Ouránia, That Is, Endimions Song and Tragedie, Containing All Philosophie, London: […] Ed. Allde, for Edward White, […], →OCLC, signature G, rectoO Friar, those are faults that are not seen, / Ours open, and of worse example been.
1641, Ben Jonson, The Sad Shepherd, I, iiiSome of green Boughs their slender Cabbins frame, / Some lodged were Tortoſa's streets about, / Of all the Hoſt the Chief of Worth and Name / Aſſembled been, a Senate grave and ſtout;
1686, Edward Fairfax, transl., Godfrey of Bulloigne: Or, The Recovery of Jerusalem, section 20, page 8
been4
- UKdialectalpluralplural of bee
Synonyms & antonyms
verbSynonym of be (infinitival sense).
Origin
been · verb
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
- Proto-Germanic*ga-
- Proto-West Germanic*ga-
- Old Englishġe-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰuH-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰuHyétider.?
- Proto-Germanic*beuną
- Proto-West Germanic*beun
- Old Englishbēon
- Old Englishġebēon
- Middle Englishbeen
- Englishbeen
From Middle English been (past participle), from Old English (ġe)bēon. By surface analysis, be + -en.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →been · verb
- Old Englishbēon
- Middle Englishbeen“to be”
- Englishbeen
Either from Middle English been (“to be”, infinitive) (from Old English bēon, equivalent to be + -en (infinitive ending)), or from a dialectal use of the preceding past tense form as an infinitive form (compare dialectal use of (I)'s, (I) is in the first person, (he) am in the third person, etc).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →been · verb
- Middle Englishbeen
- Englishbeen
From Middle English been (plural indicative form); equivalent to be + -en (plural present ending).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →been · noun
- Old Englishbēon“bees”
- Middle Englishbeen
- Englishbeen
From Middle English been, bene, ben, beon, from Old English bēon (“bees”), equivalent to bee + -en (plural ending).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with been
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
been. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/been
“been.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/been. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “been,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/been.
Source: been on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.