working

¹work·ing

noun \ˈwər-kiŋ\

Definition of WORKING

1

: the manner of functioning or operating : operation —usually used in plural <the inner workings of the government>

2

: an excavation or group of excavations made in mining, quarrying, or tunneling —usually used in plural

First Known Use of WORKING

14th century

²working

adjective

Definition of WORKING

1

: engaged in work especially for wages or a salary <a working journalist> <a working mother>

2

: adequate to permit work to be done <a working majority>

3

: assumed or adopted to permit or facilitate further work or activity <a working draft>

4

: spent at work <working life>

5

: being in use or operation <a working farm>

Examples of WORKING

1. There is a good working relationship between the departments.
2. the working parts of the machine

First Known Use of WORKING

1532

Related to WORKING

Synonyms

alive, functional, functioning, going, live, living, on, operating, operational, operative, running, active

Antonyms

broken, dead, inactive, inoperative, kaput (also kaputt), nonactivated, nonfunctional, nonfunctioning, nonoperating, nonoperational, nonoperative

Related Words

effective, effectual; employable, operable, usable (also useable), viable, workable; performing, producing, productive, serving, useful, yielding; astir, bustling, busy, dynamic, flourishing, humming, roaring, thriving

Near Antonyms

deactivated, decommissioned; ineffective, ineffectual, useless; inoperable, unusable, unworkable; arrested, asleep, dormant, fallow, idle, inert, latent, lifeless, nonproductive, quiescent, sleepy, stagnating, unproductive, vegetating