Working
adj.capable, hopefuleveryday
Meaning 1
Functioning well enough to perform its intended task.
Reach for it when confirming that a device, system, or arrangement currently operates
By noon, the village had a working water pump again.
Choose between these
4- everyday
running
when a machine or process is actively operating
not when Running is temporary and can describe a malfunctioning system that has power.
- professional
when basic operation against a purpose is established
not when Functional can mean merely adequate and does not say the item is currently working.
- professional
when a system is ready for actual use
not when Operational may be formally available while some functions remain broken.
- formal
serviceable
when usable condition is the honest claim
not when Serviceable implies adequacy, not necessarily smooth or complete operation.
Meaning 2
Provisional and open to revision while work continues.
Reach for it when labeling a draft assumption, model, or definition used for the next step
The group adopted a working definition and scheduled a review after the pilot.
Choose between these
4- everyday
draft
when a document remains open to revision
not when Draft applies to created material, not a working hypothesis or relationship.
- professional
provisional
when temporary acceptance pending evidence must be explicit
not when Provisional emphasizes uncertainty more than usefulness for current work.
- professional
tentative
when confidence remains deliberately limited
not when Tentative can be too weak for a working model actively guiding decisions.
- formal
interim
when something fills a role until a replacement is ready
not when Interim emphasizes time, while working emphasizes practical use during development.
Said against
4- broken
- inoperative
- final
- settled
It naturally appears in
3- working condition
The donated radios arrived in working condition.
- working model
The working model revealed where wheelchair clearance was insufficient.
- working assumption
Our working assumption will change if the field measurements disagree.
Where this comes from
- Wiktionary, English adjective sense: functioning or operational opens in a new tab for meaning 1 · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Wiktionary, English adjective sense: serving temporarily for work or discussion opens in a new tab for meaning 2 · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.