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

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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

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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

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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
The rural economy, largely dependent on farming, is also an important pillar of consumer spending. — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026 The problem with rising diesel prices is that some farming businesses cannot pass the increase to their customers, Rodney Knittel, the Illinois Farm Bureau Associate Director of Transportation and Infrastructure, said. — Bernarda Malevska, CBS News, 8 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
Matt Bell, 52, has been farming for more than half his life in central North Carolina. — Emma Nicholson, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 Novelist and poet Wendell Berry spent his life farming his land for food and for prose. — Tilda Wilson, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for farming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for farming
Noun
  • In 2025, China pumped $18 billion into Laos’s economy, primarily toward industry, mining and agriculture, according to the Vientiane Times, a local newspaper.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Voters will choose candidates for nearly every statewide office, including governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state school superintendent and the commissioners of agriculture, insurance and labor.
    — Caleb Groves, AJC.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The argument supporting Measure Z was signed by farmer Blair Voelz, educator Karen Rosenkilde Bayne, former Woodland City Manager Kris Kristensen, business leader Aniek Pflager and agricultural supplier Erik Wilson.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Higher diesel prices – essential to transporting goods and agricultural production – tend to drive up costs across the wider economy and fuel inflation.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • That said, Universal’s campaign seemed less interested in cultivating those audiences than in reaching people who would have a strong reaction to a two-minute trailer.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Today, those cultivating followers in addition to a wardrobe have eked out more elbow space.
    — Joan Kennedy, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2026
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
Verb
  • The Abu Falah attack followed a similar attack on Friday morning in the area of Turmus Ayya village, where settlers burned three cars after attacking a group of farmers harvesting olives.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But to the brothers, harvesting their own food represents more than providing meals for their families.
    — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • One thing Crumbley does not favor is planting marigolds against aphids.
    — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But part of the mitigation program includes planting new trees.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 16 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Farming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/farming. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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