What does dating mean?
Dating is the practice of meeting and spending time with another person in a romantic context, usually with the aim of assessing suitability for a lasting relationship. The term emerged in American English in the early twentieth century, when couples increasingly left the family home to socialise in public spaces such as restaurants, cinemas, and dance halls — a shift that gave individuals far greater autonomy in choosing partners. Today, dating encompasses everything from casual encounters arranged through smartphone apps to deliberate searches for a spouse, and it occupies a central place in popular culture, conversation, and commerce. Beyond romance, 'dating' also names scientific techniques used to establish the age of objects or events, most famously carbon dating, which measures radioactive decay to determine how old organic remains are.
The activity of going out socially with someone romantically, typically to develop or evaluate a relationship.
"Online dating has changed how many people meet their partners."
Usually treated as an uncountable activity noun.
The process of determining or recording when something was made or occurred.
"Dating of the manuscript placed it in the fifteenth century."
Common in archaeological and geological contexts, e.g. radiocarbon dating.
The word 'dating' only entered everyday English in the early 20th century — before then, courtship happened at home under family supervision, and the idea of a couple going out alone to a restaurant was genuinely radical.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dating
The word derives from 'date', which entered English from Old French 'date', borrowed from medieval Latin 'data' (literally 'things given'), the feminine past participle of Latin 'dare', meaning 'to give' — so called because dates were 'given' at the start of letters. The sense of 'date' as a romantic appointment arose in American English in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, and 'dating' followed as the corresponding activity noun. Related words sharing the Latin root include 'data', 'dative', and 'donation' (via the related giving-sense of 'donare').
Related word forms
How dating is actually used
In modern usage 'dating' almost always refers to romantic courtship, especially informal contexts ('dating apps', 'dating scene'). In scientific and academic writing it commonly refers to age-determination methods such as radiocarbon or carbon dating. The verb form 'to date' carries both meanings.
Easily confused with dating
'Date' is the individual appointment or calendar day itself, while 'dating' is the ongoing activity or process of such romantic meetings.