work-in-progress

British

noun

accounting the value of work begun but not completed, as shown in a profit-and-loss account

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Last season, the Spurs were the very definition of a work-in-progress, losing games by an average of 2.8 points per game en route to a 34-48 record.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

“The woman wondered what she had gotten herself into” is the opening line of Carrie Bradshaw’s latest work-in-progress, a novel set in 1846.

From Salon • Jul. 13, 2025

Discouraged by the reception given to Smile, and beset by mental illness, Brian Wilson pulled the plug on this work-in-progress in 1967.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2025

Perry completely understands why the band members were confounded by the work-in-progress that they saw.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2025

A color picture of the work-in-progress accompanied the article.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023