What does communing mean?
Communing is the present participle and gerund of the verb "to commune," meaning to share one's innermost thoughts and feelings intimately with another person, or to experience a profound emotional or spiritual bond with something non-human — most often nature, a landscape, the divine, or the memory of the dead. The word carries a contemplative, literary tone that sets it apart from everyday verbs like talking or chatting: to say someone is communing with the sea or with their ancestors implies a quiet, receptive depth rather than ordinary conversation. It appears frequently in poetry, memoir, and reflective writing, where solitude and attentiveness are central themes. Rooted in the Latin communis, meaning "shared" or "common," it belongs to a family of words — including communion, community, and communicate — all concerned with the act of making what is private shared. In modern usage, communing often signals mindfulness or a deliberate retreat from busyness into connection.
Present participle and gerund of "commune": to communicate intimately, or to feel a deep spiritual or emotional connection with nature, the divine, or the dead.
"They sat by the fire, communing in comfortable silence after years apart."
Often followed by "with" to specify the object of connection, as in "communing with nature."
The act or practice of communing; a period spent in quiet, intimate connection with a person, place, or spirit.
"Her daily walk became a form of communing she treasured above all other rituals."
Long before smartphones let us 'connect' instantly, people still prized the slower art of communing — sitting alone in nature or silence to feel genuinely at one with something greater than themselves.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of communing
Communing derives from the verb "commune," which entered English from Old French "comuner" in the medieval period, ultimately rooted in the Latin communis, meaning "shared" or "common." This same Latin root gives English a whole family of related words, including communion, communicate, community, and common, each carrying the idea of mutual participation or shared experience. Over time, "commune" developed two main senses: conversing intimately with others, and experiencing a mystical or spiritual union with nature, God, or the departed. The participial form "communing" has been used since early modern English to describe both kinds of deep exchange.
Related word forms
How communing is actually used
The register leans literary and somewhat formal; in everyday speech, simpler verbs like 'talk' or 'connect' are more common. The sense of communing with nature or the divine carries a contemplative, even mystical connotation.
Easily confused with communing
"Communion" is the noun for an intimate sharing or exchange of thoughts and feelings (and the Christian Eucharist rite), while "communing" is the verb form describing the act of engaging in such an exchange.