taking

[tey-king]

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that takes.

2. the state of being taken. taken.

3. something that is taken. taken.

4. 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.

5. takings, receipts, especially of money earned or gained.

6. Archaic.,  a state of agitation or distress.

adjective

1. captivating, winning, or pleasing.

2. Archaic.,  infectious or contagious.

taking

/ ˈteɪkɪŋ /

adjective

1. charming, fascinating, or intriguing

2. informal,  infectious; catching

noun

1. something taken

2. (plural) receipts; earnings

Other Word Forms

• takingly adverb
• untaking adjective
• takingness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of taking¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English takyng (gerund); take, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

The top 32 seeds enter in the first round this year, rather than the second, with the final taking place on Saturday, 3 January 2026.

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His lawyers asked the court to reconsider the measure and return Bolsonaro to "humanitarian house arrest" due to his "state of mental confusion," attributed to medications he is taking.

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He speculated that "they are taking them as shields" in case of an attack.

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The company “has the only team really capable of taking more of its chip design in-house and push its own custom optical circuit switches,” he added.

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The innovation is exciting, but the investment opportunities are still taking shape.

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