gaming

noun

gam·​ing ˈgā-miŋ 

1

: the practice or activity of playing games for stakes : gambling

After a six-decade absence, casino gaming makes its return next month to this Southern Indiana valley, once famous for luxury resorts that attracted the nation's elite.

—Michael Rubino

In the same way, casino owners almost never refer to "gambling," which brings to mind damp basements and dice, but always "gaming," which suggests Whist or Scrabble enjoyed in front of a crackling fireplace.

—Wayne Curtis

—often used before another noun

the gaming industry

2

: the practice or activity of playing games (such as board games, card games, or video games)

online/mobile/PC gaming

When most people think of computer gaming, they envision some things that aren't exactly politically correct. Things like blazing lasers, spattering blood and beheaded aliens. However, Internet gaming really does offer something for everyone.

—Kim Komando

—often used before another noun

You can get curved gaming monitors too, for added immersion in certain games.

—Jon Martindale

After looking through the gaming options, we decided on Quick Draw—a game that gives one participant a word to draw, while the other callers try to guess what the word is.

—Becca Miller

Examples of gaming in a Sentence

He does a lot of gaming online.

Recent Examples on the Web

Combat nausea with Reliefband, a 100% natural, fast-acting temporary treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness, anxiety, migraines, morning sickness, chemotherapy, amusement park rides and VR gaming. — ABC News, 20 June 2026

The law requires companies to get parental permission for social media and gaming apps and to provide their privacy guidelines, so families know what content would be censored or moderated on their child's profile. — CBS News, 20 June 2026

While younger kids are spending much of their time on devices watching YouTube videos or playing on the video gaming platform Roblox, teens are spending more time on social media apps, according to the new report. — Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 19 June 2026

The December 2025 study behind the platform drew on more than 21,000 online interviews across the four new markets, measuring awareness, likeability and purchase intent for approximately 200 titles spanning anime, gaming, film, television, sports, music and creators. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

game entry 1 or game entry 3 + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

1501, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing gaming

• tabletop gaming

Rhymes for gaming

• aiming
• blaming
• claiming
• flaming
• framing
• laming
• maiming
• naming
• shaming
• taming
• declaiming
• defaming

Kids Definition

gaming

noun

gam·​ing

ˈgā-miŋ

1

: the practice of gambling

2

: the acting out of a situation (as war) for training or testing

3

: the playing of video games