floating

American  

[floh-ting] / ˈfloʊ tɪŋ /

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.

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floating British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of floating

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

Example Sentences

Morningstar’s revenue projections are also significantly more conservative than the numbers floating around Wall Street.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026

First, the more than 170 tankers now floating in the Persian Gulf have to leave it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

The mission used inflatable cushions to pull it to the surface before dragging it back to the North Sea on a floating platform.

From BBC • May 31, 2026

Some estimates suggest there could be as many free floating planets as stars in our galaxy.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2026

His tree was bobbing about less, floating more smoothly.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

Related Words

• soaring