functioning

American  

[fuhngk-shuh-ning] / ˈfʌŋk ʃə nɪŋ /

adjective

1. performing a specified action or activity; working; operating.

   My son has only one functioning kidney.

2. (of a person with addiction or other illness or disability) able to cope with everyday life, as at home or at work: functioning diabetics.

   a functioning alcoholic with a successful career;

   functioning diabetics.

---

Etymology

Origin of functioning

First recorded in 1835–40; in 1970–75 functioning for def. 2; function ( def. ) (in the sense “to perform an action”) + -ing ² ( def. )

Explanation

Something that is functioning is working — doing what it's supposed to do. A functioning refrigerator keeps your food cold. A functioning television shows a clear picture. A functioning group gets things done in an orderly and timely fashion. A function is the purpose that something is made for. A flashlight's function is to light up. But if it's not functioning, or working properly, you might need to change its batteries or buy a new one. If your car can get you from point A to point B but the engine sounds like it's going to die any minute, you might say that it is "barely functioning." Sometimes people use the word functional to mean the thing as functioning.

Example Sentences

Their arguments helped convince congressional Republicans to push for the 15th Amendment, embedding in our national charter for the first time the idea that the right to vote is essential to a functioning democracy.

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026

Rusch added that he believes Tesla is struggling to make its third-generation Optimus robots have better functioning hands and more stability.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

Ireland's government announced fresh tax cuts on petrol and diesel at an emergency cabinet meeting Sunday after fuel cost protests that had threatened the functioning of the country's emergency services.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

Swan had been working on the problem for decades, much earlier than Edison, as had other scientists—and they had already created functioning electric lamps, albeit not very effective or reliable ones.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Barack, for his part, had spent plenty of time listening to laid-off factory workers, young military veterans trying to manage lifelong disabilities, mothers fed up with sending their kids to poorly functioning schools.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• functional
• working