- 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.
"They help improve family functioning and emotional wellbeing long after the holiday ends."
From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026
The findings suggest that placebo treatments can improve several aspects of functioning in older adults, with open-label placebos performing as well as, or in some cases better than, deceptive placebos.
From Science Daily • Jun. 25, 2026
He said that Russian Kinzhal ballistic missiles have flown within a 12-mile radius over the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant 21 times, while the same happened over the functioning Khmelnytskiy nuclear power plant 15 times.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026
Kids under the age of 10 with a high amount of daily screen time face significant developmental repercussions like irritability, a lack of executive functioning, poor sleep, and, critically, poor social and emotional competence.
From Salon • Jun. 21, 2026
Next to that is the coat room, which contains a barely functioning microwave oven and a refrigerator that won’t stay closed.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
