floating

[floh-ting]

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.

floating

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of floating¹

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

Example Sentences

As superyachts have become a staple of the billionaire class, owners and designers have taken pains to turn multimillion-dollar pleasure vessels into well-appointed floating offices, outfitted with executive desks, sleek wall art and high-speed internet.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Upon opening the door, the man finds “darkness there and nothing more,” though just out of his view we can see a spectral figure floating in the hallway.

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There are many suggestions floating around Washington on how to fix the program’s funding issues, including raising the payroll tax, eliminating the income cap on high earners or adjusting the types of benefits offered.

Read more on MarketWatch

As superyachts have become a staple of the billionaire class, owners and designers turned these pricey pleasure vessels into well-appointed floating offices, outfitted with executive desks and high-speed internet.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Many regional lenders’ businesses also tilt less toward loans like credit cards or lines of credit to big companies, which have floating interest rates that rise as rates do.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• soaring