BAE

What Does BAE Mean in a Text?

BAE in full form stands for "Baby" and, occasionally, "Before Anyone Else." It is a dialectic term with its origins in African American culture.
  • Baby. The acronym BAE means "Baby." It is typically used as a term of endearment to refer to a boyfriend or girlfriend. However, the use of BAE has evolved, and it is commonly used as an adjective meaning "excellent," which is not restricted to people (e.g., even a BBQ sauce can be referred to as BAE).
  • Before Anyone Else. Some declare that BAE means "Before Anyone Else." In this context, the words are not used literally. In other words, you wouldn't say "I knew about Tim and Stef BAE." Similar to "Baby," it is a term of endearment (e.g., You are my "Before Anyone Else" person!).

    Image for BAE

    When I write BAE, I mean this:

    meaning of BAE

    Together for ever, BAE.

    Summary of Key Points

    First Definition for BAE

    BAE means "Baby." This is the most common meaning for BAE on social-media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat.
    BAE
    Definition:Baby
    Type:Slang Word (Jargon)
    Guessability:guessability level 2
    2: Quite easy to guess
    Typical Users:typical user

    Adults and Teenagers

    Second Definition for BAE

    BAE also means "Before Anyone Else."
    BAE
    Definition:Before Anyone Else
    Type:Slang Word (Jargon)
    Guessability:guessability level 3
    3: Guessable
    Typical Users:typical user

    Adults and Teenagers

    Examples of BAE in Sentences

    Here are examples of BAE being used in conversations:
    • Jenny: Hey, BAE, how did you sleep?
    • Tony: Perfectly.
    • (Here BAE means "Baby.")
    • Mark: My presentation was BAE!
    • Jack: Nah, Tara's was more BAE!
    • (Here BAE just means "excellent" or "first rate.")
    • Jenny: Who are you taking to the prom?
    • Tony: You of course. You're my BAE.
    • (Here BAE means "Before Anyone Else" person.)

    An Academic Look at BAE

    When used with the meaning "Before Anyone Else," BAE is an initialism abbreviation. Technically, this means it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., Bee Ay EE). However, it is not often uttered using its letters. In other words, the abbreviation BAE is for efficiency in writing and not efficiency in speech.

    What Did We Say before Texting and Social Media?

    Before the digital era, we would have just said something like "Babe" or "Darling" instead of using BAE to mean "Baby."

    Example of BAE Used in a Text

    BAE
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