ongoing

Ongoing is an English adjective describing something that is currently happening and has not yet concluded. It conveys that a process, event, or state continues over time and may develop further. It is commonly used with nouns such as investigation, project, negotiations, debate, or relief efforts.

Etymology and form: Ongoing derives from on- plus going, reflecting movement forward. In modern usage it is typically spelled as a single word. Older orstylistic variants used on-going or on going, but contemporary style generally prefers ongoing.

Usage notes: Ongoing emphasizes duration and potential continuation rather than a finished result. It is used before a noun (an ongoing process) or after a linking verb (the project is ongoing). It is not usually used as a standalone noun. In some contexts, writers distinguish ongoing from continuous or in-progress, with ongoing highlighting that activity is underway but may be ongoing for an extended period.

Examples: ongoing investigations, ongoing negotiations, ongoing research into renewable energy, the ongoing debate about privacy laws, and ongoing operations at the facility. In project management and journalism, ongoing signals that the subject remains active and susceptible to new developments.

In summary, ongoing denotes current, continuing action or state, commonly paired with nouns to describe activities that are in progress and not yet completed. It is a stable, widely accepted term in contemporary English.