The bearing of something is the way it's carried or presented. When someone walks into a room with confident bearing, they stand tall, move purposefully, and seem comfortable in their own skin. A student who maintains good bearing during a class presentation speaks clearly, makes eye contact, and doesn't fidget nervously. The word suggests dignity and self-possession: how you hold yourself tells others something about who you are.

The word also describes relevance or connection to a topic. When your teacher asks if anyone has comments with bearing on the discussion, she wants thoughts that actually relate to what you're talking about. If you're debating the best book your class read this year and someone mentions their favorite video game, that comment has no bearing on the conversation.

In navigation, a bearing is the direction toward something, measured as an angle. A ship's captain might say “set a bearing of 270 degrees” to head due west. Hikers use compass bearings to find their way through forests. When someone tries to figure out where they are, they might say they're getting their bearings: orienting themselves and understanding their surroundings.

Lastly, a bearing is a mechanical part that reduces friction, letting wheels, gears, or shafts spin smoothly. The bearings in your bicycle wheels help them turn freely with less effort.