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
Examples of working in a Sentence
Noun
an article about the byzantine workings of the auction business for high-end art
Adjective
There is a good working relationship between the departments.
the working parts of the machine
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephanie H. Murray, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
Additionally, the extreme working and storage conditions of the time meant that even fragments are exceedingly rare today.
—Mohsin Sajid, Sourcing Journal, 16 Dec. 2025
Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Dec. 2025
But in other areas, the party strayed far from a pro-working-class posture.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for working
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Noun
One recently published working paper used an unusually rich data set to document the career moves that people make before and after becoming parents.
—Stephanie H. Murray, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
Additionally, the extreme working and storage conditions of the time meant that even fragments are exceedingly rare today.
—Mohsin Sajid, Sourcing Journal, 16 Dec. 2025
Adjective
The Morningside Project serves as a co-working space for meetings or an event space for small workshops.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Dec. 2025
But in other areas, the party strayed far from a pro-working-class posture.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for working
Cite this Entry
“Working.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/working. Accessed 18 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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