When a baby is born, it comes out of its mother's body at the beginning of its life. In formal English, if you say that someone is bornof someone or to someone, you mean that person is their parent.
My mother was 40 when I was born. [beVERB-ed]
She was born in London on April 29, 1923. [beVERB-ed]
He was born of German parents and lived most of his life abroad. [beV-ed + of/to]
Willie Smith was the second son born to Jean and Stephen. [V-ed + of/to]
Synonyms: brought into this world, delivered More Synonyms of born
2. passive verb [no cont]
If someone is bornwith a particular disease, problem, or characteristic, they have it from the time they are born.
He was born with only one lung. [beVERB-ed + with]
Some people are born brainy. [beVERB-ed adjective]
I think he was born to be editor of a tabloid newspaper. [beVERB-ed to-infinitive]
We are all born leaders; we just need the right circumstances in which to flourish. [beVERB-ed noun]
3. passive verb [no cont]
You can use be born in front of a particular name to show that a person was given this name at birth, although they may be better known by another name.
[formal]
She was born Jenny Harvey on June 11, 1946. [beVERB-ed noun]
4. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You use born to describe someone who has a natural ability to do a particular activity or job. For example, if you are a born cook, you have a natural ability to cook well.
Jack was a born teacher.
5. passive verb
When an idea or organization is born, it comes into existence. If something is bornof a particular emotion or activity, it exists as a result of that emotion or activity.
[formal]
The idea for the show was born in his hospital room. [beVERB-ed]
Congress passed the National Security Act, and the CIA was born. [beVERB-ed]
Energy conservation as a philosophy was born out of the 1973 oil crisis. [beV-ed + out of/of]
6. See also -born, first born, newborn
7. to be born and bred
8. to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth
-born
(-bɔːʳn)
combining form [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
-born combines with adjectives that relate to countries or with the names of towns and areas to form adjectives that indicate where someone was born.
[journalism]
...the dynamic German-born manager.
born in British English
(bɔːn)
verb
1. the past participle (in most passive uses) of bear1 (sense 4)
2. was not born yesterday
adjective
3.
possessing or appearing to have possessed certain qualities from birth
a born musician
4.
a.
being at birth in a particular social status or other condition as specified
ignobly born
b.
(in combination)
lowborn
5. in all one's born days
▶ USAGE Care should be taken not to use born where borne is intended: he had borne (not born) his ordeal with great courage; the following points should be borne in mind
Born in British English
(bɔːn)
noun
Max. 1882–1970, British nuclear physicist, born in Germany, noted for his fundamental contribution to quantum mechanics: Nobel prize for physics 1954
Born in American English
(bɔrn)
Max1882-1970; Ger. nuclear physicist, in England (1933-53)
born in American English
(bɔrn)
verb transitive, verb intransitive
1. alt. pp. of
bear1
adjective
2.
brought into life or being
3.
by birth
used in hyphenated compounds
French-born
4.
having certain qualities or abilities innately, as if from birth; natural
a born athlete
5.
being as specified from birth
nobly born
6. Informal, Dialectal
since birth
in all my born days
More idioms containing
born
born with a silver spoon in your mouth
not born yesterday
Examples of 'born' in a sentence
born
Even if you could act humble enough to convince anybody you weren't a princess born and bred.
Jennifer Fallon TREASON KEEP (2001)
In other languages
born
British English: born /bɔːn/ ADJECTIVE
You use born to describe someone who has a natural ability to do a particular activity or job. For example, a born cook has a natural ability to cook well.
He was a born teacher.
American English: born
Arabic: بِالفِطْرَة
Brazilian Portuguese: nascido
Chinese: 天生的
Croatian: rođen
Czech: rozený
Danish: født
Dutch: geboren
European Spanish: nato
Finnish: syntynyt
French: né
German: geboren
Greek: γεννημένος
Italian: nato
Japanese: 生まれながらの
Korean: 타고난
Norwegian: født
Polish: urodzony
European Portuguese: nascido
Romanian: înnăscut
Russian: прирожденный
Latin American Spanish: nacido
Swedish: född
Thai: ที่เป็นมาโดยกำเนิด
Turkish: doğuştan
Ukrainian: природжений
Vietnamese: bẩm sinh
All related terms of 'born'
bear
If you bear something somewhere , you carry it there or take it there.
born-free
(in South Africa ) a person who was born or grew up after the end of the Apartheid era
last-born
(of a child) last to be born in a family
true-born
being such by birth
well-born
Someone who is well-born belongs to an upper-class family.
born-again
A born-again Christian is a person who has become an evangelical Christian as a result of a religious experience.
first born
Someone's first born is their first child.
native-born
born in the country or area indicated
twice-born
of or pertaining to members of the Indian castes of Brahmins , Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas, who undergo a spiritual rebirth and initiation in adolescence
country-born
born in the country
foreign-born
born in a foreign country; not born in one's resident country
natural-born
being as specified through one's birth
newborn
A newborn baby or animal is one that has just been born.
not born yesterday
not as naive or as easily deceived as people seem to think
the foreign-born
immigrants of a country
highborn
If someone is highborn , their parents are members of the nobility .
born to the purple
being of royal or high birth
to the manner born
naturally fitted to a specified role or activity
born out of wedlock
born when one's parents are not legally married
to be born and bred
Someone who was born and bred in a place was born there and grew up there.
born in/out of wedlock
If a baby is born in wedlock , it is born while its parents are married . If it is born out of wedlock , it is born at a time when its parents are not married.
in all one's born days
so far in one's life
was not born yesterday
is not gullible or foolish
be born with a silver spoon in one's mouth
to inherit wealth or social standing
born on the wrong side of the blanket
illegitimate
born with a silver spoon in one's mouth
born rich
born with a silver spoon in your mouth
born into a very rich family and having a privileged upbringing . This expression is usually used to show resentment or disapproval .
to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth born with a silver spoon in your mouth
If you think that someone has a lot of advantages because they have a rich or influential family, you can say that they have been born with a silver spoon in their mouth .
Chinese translation of 'born'
born
(bɔːn)
adj
to be born[baby]出生 (chūshēng)
to be born of or to sb (frm) 是某人的孩子 (shì mǒurén de háizi)
a born comedian天生的喜剧(劇)演员(員) (tiānshēng de xǐjù yǎnyuán)
born and bred土生土长(長) (tǔ shēng tǔ zhǎng)
Seeb
All related terms of 'born'
b.
born 出生 chūshēng
to be born
( baby ) 出生 chūshēng
born and bred
土生土长(長) tǔ shēng tǔ zhǎng
a born comedian
天生的喜剧(劇)演员(員) tiānshēng de xǐjù yǎnyuán
to be born of or to sb
( frm ) 是某人的孩子 shì mǒurén de háizi
(verb)
She was born in London on April 29, 1923.
Synonyms
brought into this world
delivered
Usage note
This word is spelled without an e: a new baby was born. The word borne, spelled with an e, is the past participle of the verb bear: he had borne his ordeal with great courage, not he had born his ordeal with great courage.