- present participle of take.
taking
Americannoun
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the act of a person or thing that takes.
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the state of being taken.
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something that is taken.
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an action by the federal government, as a regulatory ruling, that imposes a restriction on the use of private property for which the owner must be compensated.
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takings, receipts, especially of money earned or gained.
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Archaic. a state of agitation or distress.
adjective
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captivating, winning, or pleasing.
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Archaic. infectious or contagious.
adjective
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charming, fascinating, or intriguing
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informal infectious; catching
noun
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something taken
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(plural) receipts; earnings
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of taking
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English takyng (gerund); see take, -ing 1, -ing 2
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.
“I presume these are sophisticated investors taking a profit.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
The toll the war is taking has been acutely felt by US agricultural states, which rely heavily on diesel to operate farming machinery and to transport their products to market.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Barry Manilow has returned to the stage after taking a break following his summer tour.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
An artificial intelligence model developed by Anthropic submitted a fabricated tip about an unsolved homicide to Philadelphia police, authorities said Friday, criticizing the company for taking two months to report the incident.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
I’d stuffed it there two hours ago so I could concentrate on my homework rather than wonder why it was taking him so long to text me, when he’s had my number for hours.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
