happening

American  

[hap-uh-ning] / ˈhæp ə nɪŋ /

noun

1. something that happens; occurrence; event.

   Synonyms:

   case, affair, instance, episode, incident

2. an unconventional dramatic or artistically orchestrated performance, often a series of discontinuous events involving audience participation.

3. any event considered worthwhile, unusual, or interesting.

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happening British  

/ ˈhæpənɪŋ, ˈhæpnɪŋ /

noun

1. an occurrence; event

2. an improvised or spontaneous display or performance consisting of bizarre and haphazard events

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adjective

1. informal fashionable and up-to-the-minute

Etymology

Origin of happening

First recorded in 1545–55; 1965–70 happening for def. 2; happen + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The curtailing of perks, from offsites to travel, is happening amid an AI push that employees say seems aimed at squeezing more work out of fewer people.

From The Wall Street Journal

“This was a release packaging issue caused by human error, not a security breach. We’re rolling out measures to prevent this from happening again,” the spokesman said.

From The Wall Street Journal

“After the dictator fell, gender expression should have been the natural extension of that kind of freedom. But there’s a kind of retaliation happening,” Zaalan shared.

From Los Angeles Times

Recently, temperatures have been cooling down at night, so most of their activity is happening during the day.

From Los Angeles Times

"Nobody knows what's happening," he said, adding that "displaced people have been sleeping in the open" in the area.

From BBC

Related Words

• accident
• adventure
• circumstance
• incident
• milestone
• phenomenon
• proceeding