ongoing

adjective on·go·ing \ ˈȯn-ˌgō-iŋ , ˈän- , -ˌgȯ(-)iŋ \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

1 a : being actually in process

ongoing research

b : continuing

The investigation is ongoing.

2 : continuously moving forward : growing

the long ongoing history of medicine

—

ongoingness

play \ˈȯn-ˌgō-iŋ-nəs, ˈän-, -ˌgȯ(-)iŋ-\ noun

See ongoing defined for English-language learners

See ongoing defined for kids

Examples of ongoing in a Sentence

the ongoing events at the school
ongoing efforts to find a cure for the disease
There is an ongoing debate over the issue.

Recent Examples of ongoing from the Web

An investigation is ongoing, which Zuckerberg did little to put to rest.

— nicholas thompson, WIRED, "Within Facebook, a Sigh of Relief Over the Zuckerberg Hearings," 13 Apr. 2018
Work on the Estadi Johan Cruyff, 8.5km away, has already been ongoing and is expected to be completed this year, with the 6,000 seat venue to host Barcelona B, Barcelona Femeni and UEFA Youth League games for the junior team.

— SI.com, "Barcelona Reach Agreement With City Council on Go-Ahead Over 'Espai Barça' Redevelopment Project," 12 Apr. 2018
With the ongoing kidnappings of hundreds of Nigerian girls by the jihadist militant group Boko Haram, media coverage of the country’s female population often focuses on victims rather than fighters.

— oliver sava, Chicago Reader, "Arts / Dance / Gender Issues Dance becomes collective action in Poor People's TV Room," 12 Apr. 2018
These enforcement efforts are ongoing and will continue.

— christopher harress, AL.com, "Major lower Alabama bust arrests 20 drug dealers," 11 Apr. 2018
The process is ongoing, and doctors can apply for the certificates any time.

— randy tucker, Cincinnati.com, "Medical marijuana: These are the Ohio doctors who can recommend medical weed for their patients," 11 Apr. 2018
The report cautions that the investigation is ongoing and has not determined whether federal student aid was involved.

— michael harriot, The Root, "Report Details How Employees Scammed Howard University for Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars," 10 Apr. 2018
The investigation is ongoing, with medical examiners working to determine her cause of death.

— dave quinn, PEOPLE.com, "Woman's Dismembered, Naked Body Is Found in N.Y.C. Park," 10 Apr. 2018
Such a decision would be the latest parry in an ongoing, multi-front conflict between the streaming service, traditional film distributors, and the gatekeepers of high-brow cinema.

— david z. morris, Fortune, "Netflix Could Pull Films From Cannes in Response to Competition Ban," 8 Apr. 2018

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

First Known Use of ongoing

1877

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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ongoing Synonyms

ONGOING Defined for English Language Learners

ongoing

adjective

: continuing to exist, happen, or progress : continuing without reaching an end

ONGOING Defined for Kids

ongoing

adjective on·go·ing \ ˈȯn-ˌgō-iŋ , ˈän- \

: being in progress or movement

The investigation is ongoing.

Learn More about ongoing

See words that rhyme with ongoing Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ongoing Spanish Central: Translation of ongoing Nglish: Translation of ongoing for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ongoing for Arabic speakers

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