happening

noun hap·pen·ing \ ˈhap-niŋ , ˈha-pə- \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Examples: happening in a Sentence

Definition of happening

1 : something that happens : occurrence

2 : an event or series of events designed to evoke a spontaneous reaction to sensory, emotional, or spiritual stimuli

3 : something (such as an event) that is particularly interesting, entertaining, or important

See happening defined for English-language learners

See happening defined for kids

Examples of happening in a Sentence

the President's visit to the school was a real happening for teachers and students alike
gave a detailed account of all the happenings of the weekend

Recent Examples of happening from the Web

Sports Highlights Up Next: All-Access: 2018 NBA Draft Your video will play in: 5 seconds All-Access: 2018 NBA Draft Get an exclusive inside look at all of the happenings and memories from the 2018 NBA Draft.

— rick bonnell, charlotteobserver, "Hornets still have a hole on roster. Here are 6 free agent possibilities to fill it.," 26 June 2018
Sports Highlights Up Next: All-Access: 2018 NBA Draft Your video will play in: 5 seconds All-Access: 2018 NBA Draft Get an exclusive inside look at all of the happenings and memories from the 2018 NBA Draft.

— peter dawson, star-telegram, "Projected starting 5 for the Mavs next season has to include Luka Doncic, right?," 25 June 2018
This year is on track to beat that number: There have already been seven million Tweets mentioning Vine, with 1.3 million happening in May alone.

— madeline buxton, refinery29.com, "Vine Is Dead, But The Internet Is Determined To Keep It Alive," 21 June 2018
This is our continuing series making Shaw, in his final videos with cleveland.com, predict future happenings in Cleveland sports - such as when will the Browns win the Super Bowl?

— chris fedor, cleveland.com, "LeBron James' game-winning runner puts Cavaliers up 3-0 in series (video)," 6 May 2018
Earlier this month, LA Fitness had a similar happening when employees in Secaucus, N.J., called the police on two men working out at the facility after falsely accusing them of not paying.

— jenice armstrong, Philly.com, "Golfers got the 'Starbucks' treatment at York golf course | Jenice Armstrong," 29 Apr. 2018
To see your kid put that much effort into something, go through that many close calls, and then to see a one-in-a-thousand shot happening.

— roxanna scott, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin native Casey Andringa overcomes obstacles to make U.S. Olympic ski team," 7 Feb. 2018
The chance of that happening is remote, however, because such a decision would require a unanimous vote by the other EU governments, and Hungary, for one, has vowed to stop it.

— The Economist, "Poland’s government sacks a third of its Supreme Court," 5 July 2018
Beginning Wednesday, July 11, at 10 a.m., guests can learn the latest Senior Center happenings, ask questions, suggest trips, and find out about upcoming programs.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The East Hartford Edition," 2 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'happening.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.