What does making mean?
Making is a common English word with two closely related functions. As a noun, it names the process of creating, producing, constructing, or arranging something, as in the making of a film or the making of a decision. As a verb form, it is the present participle and gerund of make and can describe an action in progress, such as making dinner, or a result brought about by an action, such as making a difference. Its use in phrases like making progress, making friends, and making money shows that it often suggests activity, effort, and development rather than a single finished object. Making is useful because it can focus attention on the process itself: a person may value the making of a handmade chair or the making of a career as much as the final outcome. The word is equally natural in everyday conversation, journalism, formal reports, and literary description, and it is not restricted to any one region.
The process or activity of creating, producing, constructing, or causing something.
"The making of the sculpture took several years."
Often emphasizes the process or activity rather than the finished result.
The present participle and gerund form of make, used to describe an action involving creating, producing, causing, or performing something.
"The team is making steady progress toward its goal."
Used for actions in progress and in established combinations such as making a decision, making a difference, and making arrangements.
The plural is especially common in the expression 'the makings of,' meaning the qualities or characteristics that make someone or something what it is; it can also refer to earnings or profits.
"She has the makings of an excellent journalist."
Making does double duty: it names a process while keeping an action in motion.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does making come from?
The English verb make comes from Old English mācan, meaning to form, construct, or cause something to happen. Making is the modern present-participle and gerund form of make, and its noun sense refers to the activity or process involved. The same English root appears in words such as maker, remake, handmade, and unmake.
Related word forms
How making is actually used
Making is very common in both formal and informal English. As a noun, it often emphasizes the process rather than the finished result; as a participle, it can describe an action in progress, an action occurring at the same time as another, or a completed action in phrases such as making a choice.