Being vs. Person — What's the Difference?

The essence of life or existence.

An individual human being.

Used in philosophical contexts.

Characterized by personal and social identity.

Any living creature.

A character in a story or play.

Can denote a supernatural entity.

Recognized by law with rights and duties.

Refers to the state of living.

Used in formal or polite reference.

The nature or essence of a person

A person (plural people or persons) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of property, or legal responsibility. The defining features of personhood and, consequently, what makes a person count as a person, differ widely among cultures and contexts.In addition to the question of personhood, of what makes a being count as a person to begin with, there are further questions about personal identity and self: both about what makes any particular person that particular person instead of another, and about what makes a person at one time the same person as they were or will be at another time despite any intervening changes.

In philosophy, being is the material or immaterial existence of a thing. Anything that exists is being.

A living human. Often used in combination

Existence

An individual of specified character

A real or imaginary living creature or entity, especially an intelligent one

The composite of characteristics that make up an individual personality; the self.

The state or quality of having existence

The living body of a human

The totality of all things that exist

Physique and general appearance.

A person

(Law) A human, corporation, organization, partnership, association, or other entity deemed or construed to be governed by a particular law.

An individual form of life; an organism

(Christianity) Any of the three separate individualities of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as distinguished from the essence of the Godhead that unites them.

An imaginary, conjectural, or supernatural creature

Any of three groups of pronoun forms with corresponding verb inflections that distinguish the speaker (first person), the individual addressed (second person), and the individual or thing spoken of (third person).

All the qualities constituting one that exists; the essence

Any of the different forms or inflections expressing these distinctions.

One's basic or essential nature

A character or role, as in a play; a guise

Because; since. Often used with as or that.

An individual substance of a rational nature; usually a human being.

Present participle of be

A character or part, as in a play; a specific kind or manifestation of individual character, whether in real life, or in literary or dramatic representation; an assumed character.

A living creature.

(Christianity) Any one of the three hypostases of the Holy Trinity: the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit.

The state or fact of existence, consciousness, or life, or something in such a state.

Any sentient or socially intelligent being.

(philosophy) That which has actuality (materially or in concept).

(in a compound noun or noun phrase) Someone who likes or has an affinity for (a specified thing).

(philosophy) One's basic nature, or the qualities thereof; essence or personality.

(in a compound noun or noun phrase) A human of unspecified gender (in terms usually constructed with man or woman).

(obsolete) An abode; a cottage.

(in a compound noun or noun phrase) A worker in a specified function or specialty.

Given that; since.

The physical body of a being seen as distinct from the mind, character, etc.

Existing.

(law) Any individual or formal organization with standing before the courts.

Existence, as opposed to nonexistence; state or sphere of existence.

The human genitalia; specifically, the penis.

That which exists in any form, whether it be material or spiritual, actual or ideal; living existence, as distinguished from a thing without life; as, a human being; spiritual beings.

(grammar) A linguistic category used to distinguish between the speaker of an utterance and those to whom or about whom they are speaking. See grammatical person.

Lifetime; mortal existence.

(biology) A shoot or bud of a plant; a polyp or zooid of the compound Hydrozoa, Anthozoa, etc.; also, an individual, in the narrowest sense, among the higher animals.

An abode; a cottage.

To represent as a person; to personify; to impersonate.

Since; inasmuch as.

To man, to supply with staff or crew.

The state or fact of existing;

A character or part, as in a play; a specific kind or manifestation of individual character, whether in real life, or in literary or dramatic representation; an assumed character.

A living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently

The bodily form of a human being; body; outward appearance; as, of comely person.

A living, self-conscious being, as distinct from an animal or a thing; a moral agent; a human being; a man, woman, or child.

A human being spoken of indefinitely; one; a man; as, any person present.

A parson; the parish priest.

Among Trinitarians, one of the three subdivisions of the Godhead (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost); an hypostasis.

One of three relations or conditions (that of speaking, that of being spoken to, and that of being spoken of) pertaining to a noun or a pronoun, and thence also to the verb of which it may be the subject.

A shoot or bud of a plant; a polyp or zooid of the compound Hydrozoa Anthozoa, etc.; also, an individual, in the narrowest sense, among the higher animals.

To represent as a person; to personify; to impersonate.

A human being;

A person's body (usually including their clothing);

A grammatical category of pronouns and verb forms;

Typically, person refers to humans, but in legal contexts, entities like corporations can have personhood. Non-human animals are usually not considered persons.

Not all beings have legal rights; legal rights are specifically designated and typically apply to persons and certain entities recognized by law.

Yes, being is a central concept in philosophy, exploring the essence and nature of existence.

Personhood carries significant social and legal implications, including rights, responsibilities, and social identity.

A person specifically refers to a human individual, focusing on human identity, personality, and social attributes, while being is a broader term.

A being is defined by its essence of life or existence, applicable to all living entities.

Personhood is crucial in ethics, as it involves considerations like consciousness, self-awareness, and the capacity for moral judgment, which influence ethical treatment and rights.

Currently, AI and robots are not considered persons, but this is an evolving ethical and legal discussion.

While there might be contexts where they overlap, they are not generally interchangeable due to their differing scopes and implications.

Being is often used to refer to the general state of living or existence in a broad, abstract sense.

Yes, the understanding of personhood can evolve with societal, ethical, and technological changes, influencing legal and social norms.

Language reflects this distinction by using being for broader existential discussions and person for specific references to human individuals.

Being can have a spiritual dimension, especially in contexts discussing the essence of life and consciousness beyond the physical.

The concept of being can be explored through philosophical inquiry, meditation, and existential contemplation.

Recognizing personhood is essential for ensuring individuals' rights, dignity, and legal protections.