The act of giving an answer.
"She spent ten minutes carefully answering every question on the survey."
In plain English: Answering is the act of giving a reply to someone who asked you something.
"The answering machine picked up while I was in the shower."
present participle of answer
"She was answering my questions while I explained the project details."
In plain English: Answering means giving someone what they asked for, such as responding to their question or completing their request.
"She is answering my questions while I wait outside."
The word answering comes from Middle English answerynge, which was formed by adding the suffix -ing to the verb answer. This construction simply indicates the action or process of responding, a meaning that has remained consistent since its entry into English.