Showing Results for "floating"

See Also:

• present participle of float.

floating

American  

[floh-ting] / ˈfloʊ tɪŋ /

adjective

1. being buoyed up on water or other liquid.

2. having little or no attachment to a particular place; moving from one place to another.

   a floating workforce.

3. Pathology. away from its proper position, especially in a downward direction.

   a floating kidney.

4. not fixed or settled in a definite place or state.

   a floating population.

5. Finance.

   1. in circulation or use, or not permanently invested, as capital.

   2. composed of sums due within a short time.

      a floating debt.

6. Machinery.

   1. having a soft suspension greatly reducing vibrations between the suspended part and its support.

   2. working smoothly.

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floating British  

/ ˈfləʊtɪŋ /

adjective

1. having little or no attachment

2. (of an organ or part) displaced from the normal position or abnormally movable

   a floating kidney

3. not definitely attached to one place or policy; uncommitted or unfixed

   the floating vote

4. finance

   1. (of capital) not allocated or invested; available for current use

   2. (of debt) short-term and unfunded, usually raised by a government or company to meet current expenses

   3. (of a currency) free to fluctuate against other currencies in accordance with market forces

5. machinery operating smoothly through being free from external constraints

6. (of an electronic circuit or device) not connected to a source of voltage

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonfloating
  adjective
• nonfloatingly
  adverb
• unfloating
  adjective
• floatingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of floating

First recorded in 1555–65; float + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Upon entering the home, guests are greeted with a stunning two-story foyer punctuated by a floating staircase.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

This installation stages basins filled with floating ceramic bowls, which drift and collide in an improvised soundscape that takes its title from the term for the random movement of atoms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

The Port of Long Beach aims to become an assembly hub for floating offshore wind turbines, while the state awaits a more favorable federal administration for their deployment.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026

The mission used inflatable cushions to pull it to the surface before dragging it back to the North Sea on a floating platform.

From BBC • May 31, 2026

Even though he couldn’t watch for floating debris that way, it was a faster stroke.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

Related Words

• soaring