- present participle of make.
making
Americannoun
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makings
plural
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the act of a person or thing that makes.
The making of a violin requires great skill.
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structure; constitution; makeup.
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the means or cause of success or advancement.
to be the making of someone.
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Usually makings. capacity or potential.
He has the makings of a first-rate officer.
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makings,
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something made.
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the quantity made.
a making of butter.
idioms
noun
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the act of a person or thing that makes or the process of being made
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( in combination )
watchmaking
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to cause the success of
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in the process of becoming or being made
a politician in the making
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something made or the quantity of something made at one time
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make-up; composition
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of making
First recorded before 1150; Middle English; Old English macung; make 1 + -ing 1
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.
See Examples For:
The presidential office said the South Korean government has been making an all-out effort to manage the market’s volatility, including through the new trading rules.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
The Brazil international, 25, is free to leave the club this summer, with manager Mikel Arteta making it clear the attacker is not in his plans.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
The Mike McDaniel-orchestrated offense is looking for a complete revival of the running game in 2026, and Omarion Hampton will be key to making that happen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Make sure you ask the lender about repayment terms so you understand when you’ll start making payments and how long the loan will take to pay off.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
My blanket of guilt instantly eases, making me stumble forward.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Serve it with warm corn tortillas, diced onion, cilantro and a flavorful salsa, and you have the makings of an outdoor taco night that largely takes care of itself.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
"We realised we had a drummer and a few different players. Once we started meeting regularly, we realised we had the makings of a band."
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
“We perhaps have the makings of a deal here,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday.
From Barron's ● May 29, 2026
“We perhaps have the makings of a deal here,” Bessent said from the White House, noting both sides have been swapping proposals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
My Grass-Fed Meal A WEEK’S PAY Before I left the farm Friday, I gathered together the makings for that evening’s dinner.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
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.
