1
: the manner of functioning or operating : operation
—usually used in plural
the inner workings of the government
2
: an excavation or group of excavations made in mining, quarrying, or tunneling
—usually used in plural
1
: engaged in work especially for wages or a salary
a working journalist
a working mother
2
: adequate to permit work to be done
a working majority
3
: assumed or adopted to permit or facilitate further work or activity
a working draft
4
: spent at work
working life
5
: being in use or operation
a working farm
Synonyms
Examples of working in a Sentence
Adjective
There is a good working relationship between the departments.
the working parts of the machine
Recent Examples on the Web
Trevor Clark, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Nicolas Cage may not keep up his prolific working pace moving forward.
—Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023
Instead, around 90 percent of Swedish workers are covered by collective agreements, a type of contract that regulates the relationship between employers and their employees, including pay, pensions, and working hours.
—Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 27 Nov. 2023
Still, the exodus of Chinese citizens, particularly those of working age, to the United States and elsewhere presents a challenge to China in the long run, according to Carl Minzner, a senior fellow for China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.
—Eileen Sullivan, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2023
The lack of flexible working options can exacerbate existing inequalities.
—Gleb Tsipursky, Fortune, 22 Nov. 2023
The colorful wheely case opens up to reveal test tubes, a beaker, safety goggles, a working scale, and other tools.
—Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 22 Nov. 2023
Cyber Monday is the first working day after Thanksgiving, an important date for retailers as consumers return to work and start ordering Christmas gifts.
—Reuters, Fortune Europe, 21 Nov. 2023
His brushwork was guided not by the workings of discreet blotches of color under relatively even light conditions but by gradations of light and dark.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 20 Nov. 2023
Vulture, 13 Nov. 2023
The places in America that produce the most working musicians tend to be the states with the largest Black populations.
—Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2023
The run-up to the 2024 election will demand familiarity not only with Washington, but also a working knowledge of the courtroom.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 8 Sep. 2023
For International Coworking Day on Aug. 9, the company rented co-working space and arranged happy hours in nearly a dozen cities across the country.
—Taylor Telford, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Sep. 2023
More than 25 members work NCAA Division I games, with more working Division II and junior college contests.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2023
In some cities, workers are walking off jobs — or threatening to — if more is not done to protect them and make working conditions more bearable.
—Caolán Magee, CNN, 21 July 2023
Another option is to get a stronger battery, which will also give you more working time; this hedge trimmer is compatible with Ryobi's 2 Ah and 4 Ah batteries, too.
—Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 July 2023
People can drop off any electronic device — working or non-working — drive-thru style at Computers 2 Kids’ warehouse at 8324 Miramar Mall.
—Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2020
See More
Noun
When thinking about implementing a gig work model (or taking the best practices from one), leaders should consider it as an augmentation of their model rather than a means to entirely replace their current working methods.
—Trevor Clark, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Nicolas Cage may not keep up his prolific working pace moving forward.
—Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023
Instead, around 90 percent of Swedish workers are covered by collective agreements, a type of contract that regulates the relationship between employers and their employees, including pay, pensions, and working hours.
—Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 27 Nov. 2023
Still, the exodus of Chinese citizens, particularly those of working age, to the United States and elsewhere presents a challenge to China in the long run, according to Carl Minzner, a senior fellow for China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.
—Eileen Sullivan, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2023
The lack of flexible working options can exacerbate existing inequalities.
—Gleb Tsipursky, Fortune, 22 Nov. 2023
The colorful wheely case opens up to reveal test tubes, a beaker, safety goggles, a working scale, and other tools.
—Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 22 Nov. 2023
Cyber Monday is the first working day after Thanksgiving, an important date for retailers as consumers return to work and start ordering Christmas gifts.
—Reuters, Fortune Europe, 21 Nov. 2023
His brushwork was guided not by the workings of discreet blotches of color under relatively even light conditions but by gradations of light and dark.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 20 Nov. 2023
Adjective
Till then, time to dust off those CDs — and find a working Discman.
—Vulture, 13 Nov. 2023
The places in America that produce the most working musicians tend to be the states with the largest Black populations.
—Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2023
The run-up to the 2024 election will demand familiarity not only with Washington, but also a working knowledge of the courtroom.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 8 Sep. 2023
For International Coworking Day on Aug. 9, the company rented co-working space and arranged happy hours in nearly a dozen cities across the country.
—Taylor Telford, Anchorage Daily News, 3 Sep. 2023
More than 25 members work NCAA Division I games, with more working Division II and junior college contests.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2023
In some cities, workers are walking off jobs — or threatening to — if more is not done to protect them and make working conditions more bearable.
—Caolán Magee, CNN, 21 July 2023
Another option is to get a stronger battery, which will also give you more working time; this hedge trimmer is compatible with Ryobi's 2 Ah and 4 Ah batteries, too.
—Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 July 2023
People can drop off any electronic device — working or non-working — drive-thru style at Computers 2 Kids’ warehouse at 8324 Miramar Mall.
—Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2020
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'working.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing working
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Dictionary Entries Near working
Cite this Entry
“Working.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/working. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
working
2 of 2 adjective1
a
: doing work especially for a living
working people
b
: being in an operating state
a working model
2
: good enough to allow work to be done
a working majority
a working arrangement
More from Merriam-Webster on working
Nglish: Translation of working for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of working for Arabic Speakers
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