ongoing
Americanadjective
adjective
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actually in progress
ongoing projects
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continually moving forward; developing
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remaining in existence; continuing
Usage
What does ongoing mean? Ongoing means continuing without interruption or a scheduled end. Something that’s described as ongoing has been happening for a while and is expected to continue to happen. Ongoing is an adjective that’s used to describe situations and actions. Similar terms are continuing and in progress. Example: I’m so tired of this ongoing argument with Kathy—no matter what I do, it just never stops.
Etymology
Origin of ongoing
First recorded in 1855–60; on + going, after the verb phrase go on
Explanation
If something is ongoing, it is happening now. If you have an ongoing argument with your neighbor, it means you were arguing before, you’re arguing now, and it looks like you'll be arguing into the future. If something is ongoing, it is currently in action. Often in news reports, reference will be made to an ongoing investigation because the police are in the midst of it at the moment of reporting. Ongoing reports are currently in progress as are ongoing repairs. If your teachers say that there will be ongoing testing throughout the year, you won't be done with it until you get out of school.
Vocabulary lists containing ongoing
Word Generation Weekly - Series 3
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Chapter 17: Imperial China
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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 1
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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.
That case is ongoing and a jury trial is scheduled to begin April 17, 2028, according to a court order filed Monday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
“We’re living with measles as an ongoing public health threat to the United States,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Brown University Pandemic Center.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
She also said she would invite the main frontier labs "for a discussion on how we can support ongoing industry efforts to pace the frontier."
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
The judge said the statement contained "lots of pages and lots of documents" and that lawyers in the case were "going through it carefully", which was ongoing work.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
The Allies had forced the German troops from North Africa earlier that year, but in China there was an ongoing battle to drive out the invading Japanese.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
