1
: a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence
2
: the vocation or profession in which one customarily engages
3
: the characteristic cry of a female cat in heat
also
: the period of heat
Examples of calling in a Sentence
He had always felt a calling to help others.
He experienced a calling to enter the priesthood.
Recent Examples on the Web
The sartorial duo sees tailoring not just as a trade but as a calling.
—
Shelton Boyd-Griffith, Vogue, 25 Apr. 2025
Clooney held a fundraiser just days before Biden’s disastrous debate performance last June, which ultimately led Clooney to write an op-ed calling on the president to step aside.
—Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 22 Apr. 2025
Annie is a practitioner of traditional medicines, a calling passed down from her grandmother.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 22 Apr. 2025
Finding an organization whose approach aligns with your own can transform work from merely a job into a long-term calling.
—Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for calling
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Shelton Boyd-Griffith, Vogue, 25 Apr. 2025
Clooney held a fundraiser just days before Biden’s disastrous debate performance last June, which ultimately led Clooney to write an op-ed calling on the president to step aside.
—Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 22 Apr. 2025
Annie is a practitioner of traditional medicines, a calling passed down from her grandmother.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 22 Apr. 2025
Finding an organization whose approach aligns with your own can transform work from merely a job into a long-term calling.
—Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for calling
Cite this Entry
“Calling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calling. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
calling
noun
call·ing
ˈkȯ-liŋ 
Medical Definition
calling
noun
call·ing
ˈkȯ-liŋ
: the characteristic cry of a female cat in heat
also
: the period of heat
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