farming

American  

[fahr-ming] / ˈfɑr mɪŋ /

noun

1. the business of operating a farm.

2. the practice of letting or leasing taxes, revenue, etc., for collection.

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farming British  

/ ˈfɑːmɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. the business, art, or skill of agriculture

   2. ( as modifier )

      farming methods

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Other Word Forms

• self-farming
  noun
• unfarming
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of farming

First recorded in 1545–55; farm + -ing ¹

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."

Example Sentences

While many drivers can cut back on driving to reduce gas demand, there aren’t any alternatives to reduce demand for the diesel that powers the trucking, farming and construction industries, Lenard said.

From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026

Parts of the novel are set in Ekwe’s village, where his farming family struggles to negotiate threats to its livelihood.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Hotter, drier conditions will also create fresh risks for agriculture, already under pressure as the ongoing conflict raises the costs of fertiliser and fuel needed for farming equipment.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

It is estimated that 25,000 South Africans came to the United States during the 2024-25 farming season alone under that program.

From Salon • May 5, 2026

Mama says your daddy told her it was all right, that we’d be fine since we’d been farming the same fields in Chemung County since the Maple Tree was a baby.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• agriculture
• breeding
• cultivation
• culture
• gardening
• grazing
• production
• ranching