farming 1 of 3

noun

ˈfär-miŋ How to pronounce farming (audio)
Definition of farmingnext
as in agriculture
the science or occupation of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock since an ancestor settled there in the 19th century, farming has been the only occupation for six generations of the family

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

farming

2 of 3

adjective

as in agricultural
engaged in or concerned with agriculture years of drought had a devastating impact on the region's farming communities

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

farming

3 of 3

verb

present participle of farm
as in cultivating
to work by plowing, sowing, and raising crops on we're planning on farming 50 acres the first year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of farming
Noun
Layered onto that are the rising costs of farming equipment and fuel, a lack of land for grazing and a consolidated meatpacking industry that farmers and ranchers say eats into their profits. — Joe Hernandez, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026 The grave dates to a period when people were transitioning from hunting and gathering to living in permanent settlements, farming and raising livestock, according to officials. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Connecticut has also seen a boom in backyard growers popping up in suburban neighborhoods with micro-farming businesses becoming more popular. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2026 Some of those people may be professional myrmecologists (scientists who specialize in the study of ants) and fourmiculture (ant-farming) enthusiasts. — IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has long been focused on improving conditions in cotton farming through a combination of environmental and social principles. — Sj Studio, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 The owner Doug Doetsch’s family has been farming and making cider on Seminary Hill for five generations. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for farming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for farming
  1. agriculture
  2. agricultural
  3. cultivating
  4. agrarian
  5. harvesting
  6. planting
Noun
  • Acquisition targets could include companies that have developed specialized analytical models and established customer bases in areas such as agriculture and critical infrastructure.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Likewise, regenerative agriculture, which outlaws increasingly expensive synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, can help growers keep costs down.
    — Bella Webb, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of agriculture
Adjective
  • Waiving tariffs on some Canadian agricultural products could presage similar efforts in Michigan and New Hampshire, where Republican candidates facing uphill election fights have spoken out against tariffs on Canada.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The increase comes as golden mussels continue to spread through California’s interconnected waterways, threatening drinking water supplies, agricultural infrastructure and recreational boating access.
    — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of agricultural
Verb
  • The challenge is not racing to construct a synthetic copy but cultivating the capacity to recognize, interface with and leverage what has been present all along.
    — Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Maintaining relationships with existing owners and cultivating enthusiasm among future buyers can be just as important.
    — Chris Hardesty, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of cultivating
Adjective
  • The prolific and acclaimed writer and activist used his liberal beliefs and his agrarian roots in Kentucky to craft novels, poems and essays connecting the natural world to humankind.
    — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Herb and vegetable gardens, fruit trees, wine grapes and beehives add an agrarian dimension.
    — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of agrarian
Verb
  • The volunteers, Israelis and Americans, had come to stand alongside Palestinian farmers harvesting olives with the goal of preventing attacks by Israeli settlers.
    — Liam Scott, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Photograph by Faiz Abu Rmeleh / Getty On Friday, a group of Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers who were harvesting olives in the West Bank.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of harvesting
Verb
  • In the finale, before Lee and Adam learn Aron has been killed in action in World War I, Lee is flipping through a seed catalogue, Adam is planting something, and then the telegram arrives and the two of you share this look.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Miller said the seedlings typically grow for about a year and are only sent for planting in regions in which specific species thrive.
    — Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of planting

Browse Nearby Words

farmhouses
farming
farmland
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Farming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/farming. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All