Dating seems to mean different things to different people. What does the word date mean to you?

I know there have been several threads lately that have discussed this topic, but I want to know what the actual word, or the act of going out on a date, means to people.

I think the word DATING means you go out with one another to different places spending time together and also sharing a special intimacy of emotional state.

Humm to me it is when two people go places together with the chance of it being more then just friends..... More or less the chance to get to know the one your with to see if maybe there is a chance for more.

Also, does anyone consider dating to be just with those you actually have an interest in as more than friends, or something you do with friends as well?

At my age, even carbon dating can
be inconclusive.

Otherwise, no interest, no date.

if there is not emotional attachment as far as love/sex then i consider it just hanging out...i dont really consider it dating.

When i am on a date, either one of us is treating financially, depending on who initiated the date. If I ask I pay, if he asks, i would assume its not dutch. Calling it a date would insinuate i have hopes of feelings that will grow and develop into a relationship outside of friendship.

Sometimes after a few dates I may decide friends is probably more likely...and if that turns out to be the case and we end up hanging out again then my expectations are definitely different.

Ditto...........to me if it will never be more then friends then it no longer becomes dating.... Just hanging out with friends...

Yes, same for me when it comes to friends. If it's just friends, we're not calling it a date. It's just going out to dinner, the movies, just hanging out.. things like that.

And I see no problem with deciding to stay friends after a few dates. Part of dating for me is getting to know someone more that I may have interest in as more than a friend. It doesn't always work out that we'll feel the same after a few dates.

That is very true, Things can swing either way in a "dating" phase. I suppose that is the whole point.

I grew up in Germany and in the 70s there was no such thing as dating. If you looked for the word in the dictionary you would get the fruit dates. Okay, but seriously, the way people met was a mutual discovery of interest or attraction that followed getting together either in groups or alone depending on each situation.

Then in the 80's I came to the US and learned that there was such a thing called dating and it was a strange concept to me, it still is.

Well dating is the phase that comes after all that other stuff you mentioned.

Often it doesn't seem that way though. I see a lot of people dating because they are lonely and not because they might have mutual interests or even attracted to each other.

I agree with what you all wrote! Dating is way to get to know new people. I'm not ready to date right now because I don't want to open the door to a new relationship quite yet...The closest thing I've had to a date lately was going out to lunch with a family friend when my son was in the hospital with a brain tumor...A male friend just wanted to get me out of the house and cheer me up...Anyway it was nice that my friend cared about me but our lunch felt a bit awkward! The conversation didn't always flow...I tried to keep things going even though my friend answered in "short clipped sentences." Eventually I just gave up and concentrated on eating most of the time. My friend tends to talk more on the phone than he does in person! Have you ever ran into anyone like this?...I'm used to dining out with my husband (when he was alive) or my son or a few close female friends...The idea of going on dates with people I don't know very well doesn't seem exciting to me right at this point in my life.

To me, dating is a ritual done for, and, in the name of discovery. Interest, compatibility and the like, not just to have something to do, which is what we have friends for.

Dating means testing the water.

It varies a fair bit...

Friends to lovers - You've known a friend for a fair while, but feel it should be something more. You meetup as friends quite a lot, so meeting as a date isn't really anything different. It's just got a new tag to it, a 'date'. This is the best way, as you already know the person.

A blind date - setup by a friend or even from the internet, not really seen or spoke to this person, meeting for the first time. This is really diving deep into the unknown and a lot more risky. I've never been on a blind date or setup. I'd be too paranoid, not because of nerves, but well, you know lol.

Self discovery - you met somebody in a bar, online, anywhere... got chatting away, felt something might be there. Asked them to go on a date. So you've already met them, had a brief chat, but now is the time to talk about a lot more things and see if there's anything mutual between you.

If you're a new fish in the sea, then dating can also mean dating multiple people. For some, that'd be lucky just to have 1 person to date lol. This is your personal choice/availability... if you're able to take on multiple dates (and not mix up their names)

it depends on the situation... in general, dating is going out and having fun with someone who COULD be an interest...

but i've also been in exclusive, "long-term" relationships, and people still referred to us as "dating"...

In total agreement.

I have friends that I socialise and spend quality time with. They see the 'real' me. Dates, see a slightly more guarded version. If a 'date' progresses into a relationship, I reveal more and more - a bit like the layers of an onion really but without the tears

I like hanging out better than dating. One lady asked me after a match maker tried to set us up together if we were dating. Another lady another match maker tried to set up me with mentioned the 'm' word after talking together just a few times. One lady I had fun with going to yard sales with and we would treat each other to lunches. This one most of my female coworkers would ask me if I was still seeing after she got a different job some else. I never had sex with any of them. So I like the question: "What is dating?".

Well said.

It means nothing to me. I didn't know what the word meant, until I was in my 20's. I've never been asked on a date. And I will never go on a date.