Meaning & use
bearing
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Meanings
nounsingular
A connection with, or influence on, a situation or question being considered.
Grammar: Singular and used with on: have a bearing on the result; also no bearing on.
Patterns
- have a bearing on something
- no bearing on something
Her age has no bearing on whether she gets the job.
The new evidence has a direct bearing on the case.
Weather will have some bearing on our decision to travel.
nounsingularformal
The way in which a person stands, moves or behaves, especially showing confidence or dignity.
Grammar: Usually singular: a noble bearing, a military bearing.
Patterns
- a proud bearing
- of noble bearing
The general had a calm, upright bearing.
Her dignified bearing impressed everyone at the ceremony.
He carried himself with the bearing of a trained dancer.
nouncountabletechnical
A part of a machine that holds a moving part, such as a shaft or wheel, and lets it turn smoothly with little friction.
Grammar: Countable: ball bearings, a worn bearing.
Patterns
- a bearing in something
- replace the bearings
The squeaking noise came from a worn wheel bearing.
The mechanic replaced the bearings in the front wheels.
Ball bearings help the skateboard wheels spin freely.
nouncountabletechnical
The direction of one place from another, measured as an angle from north.
Grammar: Countable and used in navigation: take a bearing, on a bearing of 90 degrees.
Patterns
- take a bearing
- on a bearing of something
The sailor checked the compass and took a bearing on the lighthouse.
We followed a bearing of 045 degrees across the moor.
Without a map, they lost their bearings in the fog.
Word forms
| plural | bearings |
|---|
Common combinations
- have a bearing on
- Her earlier work has a bearing on this project.
- lose your bearings
- In the maze of streets, he lost his bearings.
- get your bearings
- Give me a minute to get my bearings.
- ball bearing
- A ball bearing allows the wheel to turn smoothly.
- a noble bearing
- The old professor had a noble bearing.
Synonyms and how they differ
- relevance
- Relevance is the more neutral word for connection to a topic, while bearing is nearly always followed by on.
- posture
- Posture is simply how the body is held, whereas bearing also suggests character and confidence.
- demeanor
- Demeanor is a person's general behavior and manner, whereas bearing stresses carriage and dignity.
- heading
- A heading is the direction a vehicle is traveling, while a bearing is a direction measured from a fixed point.
Opposites
Word family
- bear verb
- to carry, support or tolerate
- bearable adjective
- able to be tolerated
- unbearable adjective
- too bad to be tolerated
- unbearably adverb
- to a degree that is too much to tolerate
Commonly confused: bearing or baring?
bearing vs baring
Baring is from the verb bare, meaning to uncover, and is spelled with one fewer letter than bearing.
Practice
The color of the walls has no ___ on how well the room is heated.
Choose one answer.
Have no bearing on is a fixed pattern meaning has no influence on. Relevant is an adjective and would not fit the noun slot.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bearing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.