Gaming means playing video games or computer games, whether on a console like a PlayStation or Xbox, a computer, or even a phone or tablet. When someone says they're gaming with friends, they might be playing Minecraft together, competing in a racing game, or teaming up in a multiplayer adventure.

The word comes from “game,” but it specifically refers to electronic or digital games rather than board games or sports. A gamer is someone who plays video games regularly, and gaming can describe everything from casual puzzle games to complex strategy games that take hundreds of hours to master.

Gaming has become one of the world's most popular forms of entertainment. Professional gamers compete in tournaments for prize money, and millions of people watch others play games online. Gaming can require quick reflexes, strategic thinking, and often teamwork and communication skills.

The gaming industry creates these games and has grown into a massive business. Game designers, programmers, artists, and writers work together to build the virtual worlds that gamers explore.

People also use “gaming” in another, older sense: manipulating a system to gain an unfair advantage. Gaming the system means exploiting loopholes or bending rules in ways they weren't intended, like finding a clever trick to skip ahead in a contest. This usage suggests something sneaky or dishonest, quite different from the straightforward fun of playing video games.