Borne is the past participle of the verb bear, used when something has been carried, supported, or endured. When pioneers bore heavy loads across the frontier, they carried everything they owned on their backs or in covered wagons. When someone says a message was borne by a messenger, it means the messenger carried and delivered it.

The word often appears in formal or literary writing. A ship might be borne along by ocean currents, meaning the water carried it forward. An idea can be borne through history by people who believe in it and pass it along to others.

You'll also see borne when describing something someone has endured or suffered through. A family that has borne many hardships has lived through difficult times. A soldier who has borne the weight of responsibility has carried that burden.

Don't confuse borne with born, which specifically means brought into life: “She was born in Texas.” But when something has been carried or endured, it has been borne. Think of it this way: you were born on your birthday, but you have borne your backpack to school every day since kindergarten.