- present participle of farm.
farming
Americannoun
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the business of operating a farm.
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the practice of letting or leasing taxes, revenue, etc., for collection.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of farming
Explanation
Farming is the act or process of working the ground, planting seeds, and growing edible plants. You can also describe raising animals for milk or meat as farming. Farming is a great way to describe the lifestyle and work of people whose jobs are in the agriculture industry. People often have a romantic idea of what farming is like — roosters crowing, farmers driving tractors and milking goats — although farming can be very hard work, dependent on food prices and weather. The noun farm originally meant "a lease on farm land," and it comes from the Medieval Latin firma, "fixed payment."
Vocabulary lists containing farming
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Louise Skelly, a County Down sheep farmer who chairs the Nature Friendly Farming Network in Northern Ireland, said it was a welcome change.
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026
Farming and animal husbandry are the main sources of income for locals in this region known for its hazelnuts, which are exported across the world.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Farming and defense stocks also had a strong start.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Farming and rural affairs are a devolved matter, meaning it is the Welsh government who sets out laws and policies on agricultural issues, including animal health and welfare.
From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026
Farming societies have, until very recently, relied for the great bulk of their calorie intake on a small variety of domesticated plants.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.