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

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

Etymology

Origin of floating

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

Example Sentences

The Artemis astronauts hurtling back home after circling the Moon have had regular communication with their team on Earth, but on Tuesday they got to chat with colleagues floating elsewhere in space.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

It doesn’t help that there’s more pop culture-centered art floating around now, and not just on sites like Instagram and Etsy.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Russian rapper Yegor Krid dialed a friend as he relaxed on a floating dinghy in a music clip released last year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Reports of potentially looming job cuts at Oracle have been floating around for weeks.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

The Sound was covered with cakes of floating ice, so he couldn't use the sail.

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

Related Words

• soaring