ongoing
Americanadjective
adjective
-
actually in progress
ongoing projects
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continually moving forward; developing
-
remaining in existence; continuing
Usage
What does ongoing mean? Ongoing means continuing without interruption or a scheduled end. Something that’s described as ongoing has been happening for a while and is expected to continue to happen. Ongoing is an adjective that’s used to describe situations and actions. Similar terms are continuing and in progress. Example: I’m so tired of this ongoing argument with Kathy—no matter what I do, it just never stops.
Etymology
Origin of ongoing
First recorded in 1855–60; on + going, after the verb phrase go on
Explanation
If something is ongoing, it is happening now. If you have an ongoing argument with your neighbor, it means you were arguing before, you’re arguing now, and it looks like you'll be arguing into the future. If something is ongoing, it is currently in action. Often in news reports, reference will be made to an ongoing investigation because the police are in the midst of it at the moment of reporting. Ongoing reports are currently in progress as are ongoing repairs. If your teachers say that there will be ongoing testing throughout the year, you won't be done with it until you get out of school.
Vocabulary lists containing ongoing
Word Generation Weekly - Series 3
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Chapter 17: Imperial China
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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 1
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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.
Metro officials have said their investigation was ongoing and that they did not yet know who was behind the breach.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Martin said ongoing affordability concerns and increasing material costs significantly pressured the company’s gross margins.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
If ongoing studies continue to show lasting benefits, GAE could become an important option for patients caught between conservative treatments and major joint surgery.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
But for 20-year-old Ben Smith those changes have made little difference as his application was rejected because of ongoing use of an inhaler.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
We talked that night over dinner about Malia’s flute lessons; Sasha’s ongoing devotion to her perilously frayed Blankie, which she kept draped over her head as she slept at night.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
