calling
Noun pluralcallings
Pluralcallings
- 1Present participle and gerund of call. Use it after words like 'is' or 'was', or as a noun.
She is calling her mother on the phone.
They are calling everyone about tomorrow's meeting.
UsageOn the phone, Who's calling? means who is this.
- 2A strong feeling that you are meant for a certain kind of work or life, often a religious one.
She felt a calling to become a nun.
His calling led him to join the monastery.
UsageYou feel or follow a calling: a calling to become a nun.
Similarvocation
Note
- 3A job or the kind of work a person does.
Nursing is a demanding calling that requires patience and care.
The town had people of every calling, from bakers to bankers.
UsageYou can say a baker by calling, meaning a baker by trade.
Similaroccupation, profession, trade, career
Showing meanings only.
calling is a form of call
call, verb: To give someone or something a name or use that name for them, as in 'they called the dog Max'. Full entry
- Spelling
- call → calling: add -ing
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Origins
From an older English word based on "call" plus "-ing", with roots in Old English and Old Norse.
Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- Calling comes from an older English form equivalent to call plus -ing. en.wiktionary.org
- Calling has roots in Old English and Old Norse. en.wiktionary.org
From an older English form of "call" plus "-ing".
Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
- The noun derives from an older English formation equivalent to call plus -ing. en.wiktionary.org