working

Meanings

Noun

• Operation; action.
• Method of operation.
• The incidental or subsidiary calculations performed in solving an overall problem.
• Fermentation.
• (of bodies of water) Becoming full of a vegetable substance.
• A place where work is carried on.

Verb

• Present participle of work

Adjective

• That is or are functioning.
• That suffices but requires additional work.
• In paid employment.
• Of or relating to employment.
• Enough to allow one to use something.
• Used in real life; practical.
• Efficacious.

Related

Similar words

• : functioning; up
• : draft, provisional, temporary
• : employed, in employment
• : work
• : basic

Opposite words

• : broken, broken-down, down

Narrower meaning words

• known-working

Origin

• From Middle English werking, werkynge, warkynge, worchinge, from Old English wyrċung, verbal noun of wyrċan, equivalent to work + -ing. Cognate with Scots wirking, warking, Dutch werking, German Wirkung.
• From Middle English workyng, wirkynge, worchinge, werchinge, workinde, wirkand, worchende, wurchende, from Old English wyrċende, from Proto-Germanic *wurkijandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *wurkijaną, equivalent to work + -ing. Compare Scots wirkand, werkand, warkand, Dutch werkend ("working, acting"), German wirkend ("acting, working").