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

Although unconventional, snow farming was a resounding success for both resorts.

From Slate • Apr. 11, 2026

We call the deep, folded valleys of West Dorset “coombes,” a topography often too steep for tractors; too awkward to be given over to large-scale arable farming.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Frankly, it was a factor behind my own exit from dairy farming, and the shortage of help is also a big deterrent for young people hoping to become farmers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

A farming family in one of the most remote corners of England say they have become almost "cut off" by the state of the road to their home.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Culver, a prominent local citizen and practitioner of diversified farming, his handsome daughter, Miss Tansy Culver, two young sons, and Mr. Culver’s sister-in-law, Miss Singleterry, who was flung some distance off the tailgate.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Related Words

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