Born is the past participle of the verb bear, meaning “to give birth.”
- The baby was born at 1:21 a.m.
Borne is the past participle of the verb bear in all senses not related to birth. In most contexts, it has the meaning “carried.”
- Indigenous societies had a spiritual connection with the land that was borne out in their creation stories and traditions.
- Food-borne infections caused by resistant bacteria pose a risk to humans.
- The small boat was borne along by the current.
When used with the helping verb have, borne can also mean “produced” or “brought about.”
- Our efforts have borne fruit.
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