Meeting is the correct spelling for a gathering, appointment, or discussion. Meating is not standard modern English — it’s usually just a typo. The confusion happens because both words sound almost identical and differ by only one letter.
Quick Answer: Is It “Meeting” or “Meating”?
Use “meeting” whenever you’re talking about people coming together — a work meeting, a Zoom call, a parent-teacher conference. “Meating” isn’t used in everyday writing at all.
| Meeting | Meating | |
|---|---|---|
| Word type | Noun / verb (-ing form) | Rare/archaic noun |
| Meaning | A gathering of people for a purpose | Historically tied to preparing or supplying meat |
| Everyday use | Extremely common | Essentially never seen outside typos |
Correct: We have a team meeting at 3 p.m. Incorrect: We have a team meating at 3 p.m.
Meeting: Definition and Word Origin
“Meeting” refers to an occasion when people come together, whether to talk, decide something, or simply see each other. It can describe a formal business gathering, a casual get-together, or even the act of two people crossing paths.
The word comes from the Old English verb mētan, meaning “to come together” or “to encounter.” Over time, English speakers added the “-ing” suffix to turn the verb “meet” into a noun describing the event itself — the same pattern used in words like “reading” or “planning.”
Similar spelling confusion happens with really vs. realy, where pronunciation causes writers to leave out a necessary letter.
What Does “Meating” Actually Mean?
The Rare, Archaic Sense
“Meating” is technically a real word, but not in the way most people who type it intend. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “meating” is an obsolete or regional (Scottish) noun built from “meat” plus “-ing,” historically describing the act of feeding or supplying something with meat. It dates back to the 1400s and hasn’t been in common use for centuries.
The Modern Slang Sense
Outside that historical meaning, “meating” has also picked up an informal slang usage online, loosely connected to the word “meat.” This sense has nothing to do with professional communication and is one more reason the word looks out of place in an email or work document.
Why It’s Almost Always a Mistake Today
If you meant to write about people gathering, “meating” is simply the wrong word. Because it happens to be a technically valid (if obscure) string of letters, spellcheck tools often let it slide instead of flagging it as an error.
Spelling and Pronunciation: Meeting vs. Meating
“Meeting” is pronounced /ˈmiː.tɪŋ/ in British English and /ˈmi.tɪŋ/ in American English — two syllables, with stress on the first: MEE-ting. “Meating,” if anyone actually said it aloud, would sound the same way, which is exactly why the misspelling is so easy to produce without noticing.
The spelling difference comes down to one vowel: “meet” + “-ing” gives you “meeting,” while “meat” + “-ing” gives you “meating.” Since “meet” and “meat” are homophones, your ear can’t catch the mistake — only your eyes can.
Another commonly confused spelling is dysregulated vs. disregulated, where writers mix up the prefixes dys- and dis-.
Meeting vs. Meet, Meat, and Meting: How They All Differ
These four words are frequently mixed up because they sound alike or look alike on the page.
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meet | Verb | To come together with someone | I’ll meet you at the office. |
| Meat | Noun | Animal flesh used as food | She stopped eating red meat. |
| Meeting | Noun / verb form | A gathering of people | The meeting starts at noon. |
| Meting | Verb (-ing form of “mete”) | Distributing or handing out, often punishment | The judge is meting out a fine. |
Meet vs. Meeting: “Meet” is the base verb describing the action; “meeting” is the noun (or present participle) describing the event or the ongoing action. “Let’s meet tomorrow” describes an action; “Tomorrow’s meeting is at 10 a.m.” describes an event.
Meat vs. Meeting: These share no grammatical relationship — “meat” is unrelated to “meet” in origin, and confusing them usually happens purely because they’re homophones.
Meting vs. Meeting: “Meting” comes from the verb “mete,” meaning to allot or distribute, and shows up almost exclusively in formal or legal writing (“meting out justice”). It is not interchangeable with “meeting.”
Word Forms of “Meet” and “Meeting”
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Base verb | meet | They meet every Friday. |
| Past tense | met | We met last year. |
| Past participle | met | I have met him before. |
| Present participle / gerund | meeting | She is meeting her manager now. |
| Noun (event) | meeting | The meeting ran long. |
| Plural noun | meetings | I have three meetings today. |
How to Use “Meeting” Correctly in a Sentence
As a noun, “meeting” refers to the event itself:
- The budget meeting has been rescheduled to Thursday.
- Our weekly meeting always starts on time.
As a present participle verb, “meeting” describes an ongoing or planned action:
- I’m meeting a client at noon.
- She has been meeting with investors all week.
Why Do People Type “Meating” Instead of “Meeting”?
The mix-up usually comes down to how the word sounds, not how it’s spelled. A few common triggers:
- Phonetic spelling: Because “meet” and “meat” sound identical, some writers unconsciously default to the “meat” spelling when typing quickly.
- Fast typing: Swapping two adjacent vowels is one of the most common typo patterns in English.
- Autocomplete habits: On mobile keyboards, predictive text sometimes suggests a word close to what was typed rather than correcting it outright.
Does Spellcheck Catch “Meating”?
Not reliably. Because “meating” is a technically valid dictionary entry (even if archaic), most spellcheckers won’t flag it as an outright error the way they would a nonsense string of letters. Grammar checkers that look at context and word usage are more likely to catch it than basic spellcheck alone.
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Correct: Can you send me the meeting invite? Incorrect: Can you send me the meating invite? Explanation: This is describing an event, so “meeting” is required.
Correct: We’re meeting the vendor at 9 a.m. Incorrect: We’re meating the vendor at 9 a.m. Explanation: “Meeting” here functions as a verb describing a planned action, not “meating.”
Correct: The judge is meting out the sentence. Incorrect: The judge is meeting out the sentence. Explanation: This sentence is about distributing a punishment, so “meting” is correct — not “meeting.”
How to Fix It If You Already Sent “Meating” in an Email
If you notice the typo after hitting send, a short, low-key follow-up works best: “Quick correction — that should say ‘meeting,’ not ‘meating.'” Most readers will recognize it as a simple typo, especially if you catch it quickly.
Synonyms for “Meeting”
To avoid repeating “meeting” too often in your own writing, consider: conference, briefing, session, gathering, discussion, huddle, or appointment — depending on how formal the context is.
How to Avoid Typing “Meating” by Mistake
A simple memory trick (not an official grammar rule): “Meeting” has two E’s because it takes people to make a meeting — think of the double E as two people coming together. If you picture that image before you type, it’s easier to catch the slip before you hit send.
Practice: Test Your Meeting vs. Meating Knowledge
- Choose the correct spelling: We have a client __________ tomorrow. (meeting / meating)
- Fill in the blank: The __________ started fifteen minutes late. (meeting / meating)
- Correct the sentence: “I’m meating with HR at 2 p.m.”
- Choose the correct word: The manager is __________ out new assignments to the team. (meeting / meting)
- Identify the verb form: “She has been meeting with clients all week.” (Is “meeting” used as a noun or a verb here?)
- Choose between similar words: They stopped to buy fresh __________ for dinner. (meat / meet)
- Correct the sentence: “Let’s meat at the usual spot after work.”
- Fill in the blank: Our __________ room is booked until 4 p.m. (meeting / meating)
Answer Key
- Meeting — refers to a scheduled gathering.
- Meeting — describes the event that started late.
- “I’m meeting with HR at 2 p.m.” — corrected from “meating” to “meeting.”
- Meting — refers to distributing assignments, not gathering.
- Verb — “meeting” here describes an ongoing action (present participle).
- Meat — refers to food, not the verb “to meet.”
- “Let’s meet at the usual spot after work.” — corrected from “meat” to “meet.”
- Meeting — refers to the room used for gatherings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “meating” a real word?
Yes, but only in a narrow, outdated sense. The Oxford English Dictionary lists “meating” as an obsolete or regional noun tied to supplying or preparing meat. It has no place in modern everyday writing about gatherings.
What’s the correct spelling: “meeting” or “meating”?
“Meeting” is correct for any context involving people coming together. “Meating” should be avoided entirely unless you’re specifically referencing its archaic meat-related meaning, which is essentially never necessary today.
Why do people write “meating” instead of “meeting”?
It usually happens because “meet” and “meat” are pronounced the same way, so the wrong spelling can slip in during fast typing or from relying on how the word sounds rather than how it’s spelled.
Is “meeting” a noun or a verb?
It’s both. As a noun, it refers to the event (“the meeting starts at 10”). As the present participle of “meet,” it functions as part of a verb phrase (“she is meeting her team”).
What’s the difference between “meeting” and “meting”?
“Meeting” refers to people gathering together. “Meting” comes from the verb “mete,” meaning to distribute or allot, and is typically used in formal contexts like “meting out punishment.”
What’s the difference between “meet,” “meat,” and “meeting”?
“Meet” is a verb describing the action of coming together. “Meat” is a noun referring to animal flesh eaten as food. “Meeting” is the noun (or verb form) describing the actual gathering or event.
Will autocorrect fix “meating” for me?
Not always. Since “meating” is a technically valid (if archaic) word, many spellcheckers won’t automatically flag or correct it, so it’s worth proofreading manually.
Is “meating” ever correct in a business context?
No. In business or professional writing, “meeting” is always the word you want. “Meating” has no legitimate business usage.
How do you pronounce “meeting” vs. “meating”?
Both would be pronounced the same way — /ˈmiː.tɪŋ/ in British English or /ˈmi.tɪŋ/ in American English — which is exactly why the spelling mistake is so easy to make without noticing.
What are some synonyms for “meeting”?
Common alternatives include conference, briefing, session, discussion, and gathering, depending on the level of formality needed.
What should I do if I already sent an email with “meating” in it?
Send a brief, casual follow-up noting the correction. Most readers will understand it was a simple typo, especially if caught quickly.
The Bottom Line
When you’re writing about people getting together, the word you want is “meeting” — never “meating.” The mistake happens because “meet” and “meat” sound identical, but only one of them belongs in front of “-ing” when you’re scheduling a gathering. Keep the two-E spelling in mind, and the confusion disappears for good.
