- present participle of function.
functioning
Americanadjective
-
performing a specified action or activity; working; operating.
My son has only one functioning kidney.
-
(of a person with addiction or other illness or disability) able to cope with everyday life, as at home or at work: functioning diabetics.
a functioning alcoholic with a successful career;
functioning diabetics.
Etymology
Origin of functioning
First recorded in 1835–40; in 1970–75 functioning for def. 2; function ( def. ) (in the sense “to perform an action”) + -ing 2 ( def. )
Explanation
Something that is functioning is working — doing what it's supposed to do. A functioning refrigerator keeps your food cold. A functioning television shows a clear picture. A functioning group gets things done in an orderly and timely fashion. A function is the purpose that something is made for. A flashlight's function is to light up. But if it's not functioning, or working properly, you might need to change its batteries or buy a new one. If your car can get you from point A to point B but the engine sounds like it's going to die any minute, you might say that it is "barely functioning." Sometimes people use the word functional to mean the thing as functioning.
Vocabulary lists containing functioning
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bessent this week kicked off a series of bigger buybacks of long-dated Treasurys with the aim to keep the world’s biggest debt market functioning smoothly and stabilizing long-end rates.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 13, 2026
These detailed images allowed scientists to examine the structure of the heart as well as how effectively it was functioning.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
It is embedded in the contingency plans we hope will never be needed and in the resilience of the institutions—and people—who keep the country functioning every day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
We planned to assess both generations across domains of emotional, social, and everyday functioning.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
The fact that all the functioning parts are of infinitesimal size adds to the miracle.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
