ongoing

adjective

on·​go·​ing ˈȯn-ˌgō-iŋ How to pronounce ongoing (audio)
ˈän-
-ˌgȯ(-)iŋ
Synonyms of ongoingnext
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
ˈȯn-ˌgō-iŋ-nəs How to pronounce ongoing (audio)
ˈän-
-ˌgȯ(-)iŋ-
noun

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 on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mahdawi also has an ongoing case in federal district court arguing he was unlawfully detained. Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 3 Mar. 2026 Sunday's unrest came amid ongoing cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which began Thursday after Afghanistan launched attacks in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes the previous Sunday. Arkansas Online, 3 Mar. 2026 The chasm between some top Democrats and AIPAC is illustrated by their respective statements on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 3 Mar. 2026 More than half a dozen Republican and independent voters who have previously voted for or expressed some support for Trump in a previous ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll expressed a range of views on the ongoing campaign, dubbed Operation Epic Fury. Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ongoing

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of ongoing was in 1877

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ongoing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ongoing. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

ongoing

adjective
on·​go·​ing ˈȯn-ˌgō-iŋ How to pronounce ongoing (audio)
ˈän-
: being in progress or movement

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