adj
Common
borne
bawn
Borne (adj) means Carried or supported — used especially as a suffix in words like "airborne" or "waterborne.". Example: “The disease is borne by mosquitoes.”
adj
1
Carried or supported — used especially as a suffix in words like "airborne" or "waterborne."
"In the last rays of the setting sun, you could pick out far away down the reach his beard borne high up on the white structure, foaming up stream to anchor for the night."
— Joseph Conrad, Falk: A Reminiscence (1901)
"The disease is borne by mosquitoes."
"She has borne the responsibility for years without complaint."
"Irving is further required, as a matter of practice, to spell out what he contends are the specific defamatory meanings borne by those passages."
— David Irving v. Penguin Books and Deborah Lipstadt (2000)
"The seeds were borne on the wind across the whole valley."
How to use borne
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCarried or endured — used for things transmitted or burdens shouldered, not for the act of being born.
Common mistake
Reserve "born" strictly for birth; use "borne" for everything else related to carrying or enduring.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
airborne
waterborne
borne out of necessity
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like borne.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The disease is _____ by mosquitoes.
Etymology
From Old English "boren," the past participle of "beran" ("to carry, bear") — the same origin as "born," but "borne" kept the general "carried/endured" meaning.
Synonyms
View more →
carried
supported
Related words
Rhymes for borne
See all rhymes for borne →Frequently asked questions
What does “borne” mean?
The word “borne” means carried or supported — used especially as a suffix in words like "airborne" or "waterborne.". In plain terms, carried or endured — used for things transmitted or burdens shouldered, not for the act of being born.
How do you pronounce “borne”?
“Borne” is pronounced bawn (/boɹn/ in IPA).
How do you use “borne” in a sentence?
Here is “borne” used in a sentence: “The disease is borne by mosquitoes.”
What part of speech is “borne”?
“Borne” is an adjective.
Where does the word “borne” come from?
The word “borne” comes from Old English. From Old English "boren," the past participle of "beran" ("to carry, bear") — the same origin as "born," but "borne" kept the general "carried/endured" meaning.
Is “borne” a common word?
“Borne” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between borne and born?
Borne is the past participle of "bear" meaning to carry or support, used in phrases like "waterborne" or "she has borne the burden well." Born specifically refers to birth, as in "she was born in 1990," and the two should not be confused despite their similar spelling and pronunciation.
Why do words like airborne and waterborne use borne instead of born?
Words like airborne and waterborne use "borne" because it functions as a suffix meaning "carried by," reflecting the sense of bear meaning to carry or support rather than the birth-related meaning of "born." This distinguishes carried-by compounds from birth-related usage.
