farming

farming — noun

1. the job or activity of producing food, milk, wool, or other products by keeping

1.nounA2
Definition

the job or activity of producing food, milk, wool, or other products by keeping animals or growing plants on a piece of land called a farm.

Example

Sumin's family has been doing organic farming in the hills for over thirty years.

collocation: organic farming

Charlotte left her city job to start small-scale farming in the countryside.

compound adjective + noun: small-scale farming

Common collocations
  • organic farming
  • dairy farming
  • small-scale farming
  • intensive farming
  • subsistence farming
  • farming methods
  • farming community
Synonyms
  • agriculture

    more formal and academic; covers the science and economics of food production

  • cultivation

    focuses specifically on preparing land and growing plants; does not usually include animal raising

  • husbandry

    refers mainly to raising animals (livestock); less common in everyday speech

  • ranching

    a specific type of farming focused on cattle or other livestock over large areas of land, especially in North America

Grammar Patterns

adjective + farming (e.g. organic farming)

farming + noun (e.g. farming methods)

Usage Note

Used as an uncountable noun. Frequently appears with a preceding adjective that describes the method (organic, intensive, dairy, mixed) or the scale (small-scale, large-scale).

Common Mistakes

She studied farming at university' (when meaning the academic subject).
She studied agriculture at university.
'agriculture' is the formal term for the academic field; 'farming' is more common for the practical, everyday activity.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Farming is the most general, everyday word for growing crops and raising animals on a farm. Agriculture is the formal, academic term that also covers the science and economics behind food production — you study agriculture, not farming, at university. Cultivation focuses narrowly on preparing soil and growing plants; it does not cover animals. Husbandry refers specifically to the care of animals (livestock) and is less common in daily conversation. Ranching describes large-scale cattle or sheep farming on open land, especially in North America and Australia — a rancher raises herds, whereas a farmer may grow crops too. For example: 'The region depends on dairy farming for its income.' (everyday); 'Advances in agriculture have improved crop yields worldwide.' (formal); 'Cattle ranching covers huge areas of the Australian outback.' (specific).

agriculture ↗cultivationhusbandryranching

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • way of life
  • means of livelihood
  • piece of land

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchMedieval LatinEnglish

The word 'farming' comes from the Old French word 'ferme', meaning 'a lease' or 'fixed rent'. In medieval times, a farmer was someone who paid a fixed rent to use land. Over the centuries, the word shifted focus from the leasing arrangement to the actual work done on the land — growing crops and raising animals. Today 'farming' refers almost entirely to the practical activity of food production.