What Does "Dating" Mean? What Do People Actually Do When They Are Dating?

April 20th, 2017 | Updated on February 28th, 2024

What does dating mean? Possibly, the most difficult mystery to ever befall the earth.

“Dating” is what happens before you’re boyfriend and girlfriend.

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Does everyone have their own unique definition of the word? Yes, the term “Dating” has many a definition:

1. Dating means doing activities together WITHOUT sex.

2. It’s hanging out in a boyfriend/girlfriend type of manner.

3. It means you are in a relationship.

4. It could be exclusive… it could also not be exclusive.

5. It’s hanging out consistently.

6. It involves any sort of hanging out, PLUS sex.

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7. It’s the “getting to know you” period.

8. It’s one step before a relationship.

9. The act of going on dates.

10. It’s the act of going on lots of dates with one person.

11. I like you and only you, and we are together.

12. This means nothing, but we are having sex on a somewhat regular basis.

13. I’m not ready for anything even remotely serious, so I’m going to keep us at this mystery level probably until one of us dies.

14. You buy me dinner when we go out. I think that’s dating.

Let’s find out what other people have to say about Dating:

Dating has become a very ambiguous term. To some it means they go on dates with multiple people, others it is just going on dates with one person-hopefully leading to commitment, to others it is a committed relationship, etc. The best way to know is ask for that particular person’s definition of dating. As far a what they do, it could be anything from coffee and chat to sex. Again an ambiguous area. – Lara l Lord

Dating and courting are different and here is why. When you date, all you are basically doing is looking for someone that fits your ideal type of man or woman; you look for personality traits that you value. It is not supposed to be long at all. A scenario is I meet a girl that I think (that I think) is a good match for me. I be with her to assess whether on the surface level (on the surface level) we even match. This should not take long at all: one or two months. When we are not for each other, I pursue another person. That is dating. It short and doesn’t take long. (There shouldn’t be any emotional attachment or sex). Read more... – Ruben Kusi

There are various degrees of “dating”. This is normally used to say that the two people are meeting up to do any activity but there is a stage of gauging to see if there is romantic mutual romantic interest. Read more… – Juan Gallardo

“Dating” is pretty straight forward. There is a difference between a relationship and dating that many people get confused. Of course, it is a small difference, but dating means that you are actively “going out” places. To movies or restaurants or even just snuggle dates at ones house. You can be in a relationship, and never really do much of anything together. – Andrew Mathewson

Dating means going out together to explore romantic possibilities. How 2 individuals do that is totally upto them. The end expectation of course is a relationship and/or physical intimacy. – Vishal Singh

Dating can mean something different for everyone. In my case, I am committed to my partner and we frequently go out together. However, my sister is dating someone and she rarely sees him. She is committed to him, though. The word “dating” can mean that someone and the other person are non-committal and just go out on dates, but it can also mean that someone is 100% committed to the other person and rarely go out. – Haili Cornell

Dating is to go to see someone you love or think a potential person to fall in love with. It is a romantic outside meeting of two hearts bitten by love in a pursuit of gradually knowing each other too well before entering into a relationship. This is in vogue in the West, where adolescents are encouraged to go on dating. Read more… – Gopal Sinha

Here are a few Dating Quotes :

“Maybe our girlfriends are our soulmates and guys are just people to have fun with.” ― Candace Bushnell, Sex and the City

“I wondered what happened when you offered yourself to someone, and they opened you, only to discover you were not the gift they expected and they had to smile and nod and say thank you all the same.” ― Jodi Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper

“We’re not dating,” Alec said again. “Oh?” Magnus said. “So you’re just that friendly with everybody, is that it?” ― Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes

“People always fall in love with the most perfect aspects of each other’s personalities. Who wouldn’t? Anybody can love the most wonderful parts of another person. But that’s not the clever trick. The really clever trick is this: Can you accept the flaws? Can you look at your partner’s faults honestly and say, ‘I can work around that. I can make something out of it.’? Because the good stuff is always going to be there, and it’s always going to pretty and sparkly, but the crap underneath can ruin you.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert, Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage

“To say that one waits a lifetime for his soulmate to come around is a paradox. People eventually get sick of waiting, take a chance on someone, and by the art of commitment become soulmates, which takes a lifetime to perfect.” ― Criss Jami, Venus in Arms

“Pretty soon the only people left without a girlfriend will be me and Wendell the school janitor, and he smells like windex.”
“At least you know he’s still available.” ― Cassandra Clare, City of Bones

“Don’t leave a piece of jewelry at his house so you can go back and get it later; he may be with his real girlfriend.” ― Amy Sedaris, I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence

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“Sometimes it takes a heartbreak to shake us awake & help us see we are worth so much more than we’re settling for.” ― Mandy Hale, The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass

“It’s probably a bad indicator of your lifestyle when you miss your ex-boyfriend because he’s absolutely lethal.” ― Charlaine Harris, Dead to the World

“To be rejected by someone doesn’t mean you should also reject yourself or that you should think of yourself as a lesser person. It doesn’t mean that nobody will ever love you anymore. Remember that only ONE person has rejected you at the moment, and it only hurt so much because to you, that person’s opinion symbolized the opinion of the whole world, of God.” ― Jocelyn Soriano, Mend My Broken Heart

“A busy, vibrant, goal-oriented woman is so much more attractive than a woman who waits around for a man to validate her existence.” ― Mandy Hale, The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass

“Hope for love, pray for love, wish for love, dream for love…but don’t put your life on hold waiting for love.” ― Mandy Hale, The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass

“One of the best times for figuring out who you are & what you really want out of life? Right after a break-up.” ― Mandy Hale, The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass

“I love you. I hate you. I like you. I hate you. I love you. I think you’re stupid. I think you’re a loser. I think you’re wonderful. I want to be with you. I don’t want to be with you. I would never date you. I hate you. I love you…..I think the madness started the moment we met and you shook my hand. Did you have a disease or something?” ― Shannon L. Alder

“Rejection is an opportunity for your selection.” ― Bernard Branson

“We’re taught that in life, we should try to look on the bright side. Not in this case. In this case, assume rejection first. Assume you’re the rule, not the exception. It’s liberating. But we also know it’s not an easy concept. -He’s not just into you” ― Greg Behrendt

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“Your relationship may be “Breaking Up,” but you won’t be “Breaking Down.” If anything your correcting a mistake that was hurting four people, you and the person your with, not to mention the two people who you were destined to meet.” ― D. Ivan Young, Break Up, Don’t Break Down

“Cheaters never prosper. (Because they suck.) ” ― Greg Behrendt

“Better to put your heart on the line, risk everything, and walk away with nothing than play it safe. Love is a lot of things, but “safe” isn’t one of them.” ― Mandy Hale, The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass

“Dating is like trying to make a meal out of leftovers. Some leftovers actually get better when they’ve had a little time to mature. But others should be thrown out right away, No matter how you try to warm them up, they’re never as good as when they were new.” ― Lisa Kleypas, Sugar Daddy

“A friend of mine told a story about a date with a guy she was really excited about: He stood her up. He then called her, begging her forgiveness and giving some excuse. She told him to get lost, telling him that he only gets one shot with her, and he blew it.” ― Greg Behrendt