Showing results for "floating"

• 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

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

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Etymology

Origin of floating

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

floating

You know, just hitting some tennis balls and having a taco occasionally, just floating through life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

Much of the surrounding water appears dark and open, although scattered fragments of floating sea ice remain visible.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

“There’s a lot of capital floating around for these companies, but there’s not a lot of deep intelligence on how to build these things.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

A floating barrier was deployed to try and contain the spill.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

It was odd, because even though I could hear them talking, I felt like I was floating on a cloud above them.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

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Related Words

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