hardening

noun hard·en·ing \ ˈhärd-niŋ , ˈhär-dᵊn-iŋ \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Definition of hardening

: sclerosis 1

hardening of the arteries

Recent Examples of hardening from the Web

Jon Moyle, an attorney who represents the group known as FIPUG, argued that more information is needed regarding FPL’s costs associated with pre-storm hardening efforts, along with mobilization, demobilization and crew-standby costs.

— jim turner, miamiherald, "Monthly FPL bills to go down slightly," 5 June 2018
Texas politicians are pushing to focus on school security — the hardening of targets.

— todd c. frankel, Washington Post, "Santa Fe school had a shooting plan, armed officers, and practice. And still 10 people died.," 19 May 2018
But the hardening on each side is what may give others anxiety about the state of the union afterward.

— benjamin oreskes, latimes.com, "Essential California: Suspected Golden State Killer caught," 26 Apr. 2018
The new satellites are being engineered with greater resilience to enemy attacks through cyber hardening, smaller, less vulnerable form factors and jam-resistant GPS systems.

— kris osborn, Fox News, "New Air Force weapons strategy speeds missile warning, hypersonics and F-35 technology," 17 May 2018
The shift reveals a hardening stance among Republicans, who are now even more critical of the investigation.

— CBS News, "More Americans now say Russia investigation is politically motivated – CBS News poll," 8 May 2018
High blood sugar can damage nerves, which may cause numbness in the feet and legs, and lead to a narrowing and hardening of blood vessels, which can result in less oxygen being circulated throughout the body to aid in healing.

— staff report, Houston Chronicle, "Houston Methodist Sugar Land offers advanced treatment for nonhealing wounds," 1 May 2018
Then, using a spatula, the hardening thin layers of ice cream are rolled into several cylinders.

— birmingham magazine, AL.com, "Birmingham Food News: Ramen, rolled ice cream, and cajun," 10 Apr. 2018
Now, Bolton’s regime-change rhetoric toward North Korea and Iran may lead to a hardening of policy, allies believe.

— washington post, BostonGlobe.com, "Allies worry about Bolton’s hawkish views," 23 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of hardening

15th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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Financial Definition of HARDENING

hardening

noun

What It Is

Hardening refers to stabilization or steady increases in a price level.

How It Works

Financial instruments and derivatives frequently experience volatile market-price fluctuations. Hardening is the process of market prices gradually returns to a normal levels following a period of instability. Likewise, an item that experiences steady long-term gains rather than abrupt short-term price escalations is described as hardening

Why It Matters

Hardened securities and derivatives tend to experience smaller day-to-day fluctuations and are often attractive to investors, because they become easier to predict and have a decreased level of risk.

Source: Investing Answers