floating

adjective

float·​ing ˈflō-tiŋ How to pronounce floating (audio)
1
: buoyed on or in a fluid
2
: located out of the normal position
a floating kidney
3
a
: continually drifting or changing position
the floating population
b
: not presently committed or invested
floating capital
c
: short-term and usually not funded
floating debt
d
: having no fixed value or rate
floating currencies
floating interest rates
4
: connected or constructed so as to operate and adjust smoothly
a floating axle

Examples of floating in a Sentence

the wreckage remained floating for hours
Recent Examples on the Web Social media posts and years of reviewing cookie-cutter luxury hotels had conditioned me to equate floating breakfasts, monogrammed accessories, butler service, and aromatherapy menus as markers of a dreamy luxury vacation. Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 22 Oct. 2024 The boat, a single motorboat, was found floating and half-submerged near the Harbor One Marina. Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2024 Netanyahu said other countries, including France, were creating floating and field hospitals to take in injured and sick patients. Doug Cameron, WSJ, 12 Nov. 2023 The United States shot down three more floating objects in the following days, then announced that there was no sign that any of them were connected to China. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2023 See all Example Sentences for floating 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'floating.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of floating was in 1600

Dictionary Entries Near floating

Cite this Entry

“Floating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/floating. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

floating

adjective
float·​ing ˈflōt-iŋ How to pronounce floating (audio)
: located out of the normal position or abnormally movable
a floating kidney

Legal Definition

floating

adjective
float·​ing
1
: not presently committed or invested
floating capital
2
: short-term and usually not funded
floating debt
3
: having no fixed value or rate
floating currencies
floating interest rates

More from Merriam-Webster on floating

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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