The art of sculpting models from clay etc. to create a representation of something.
"The artist spent the afternoon modeling the bust in clay, carefully shaping each curve to capture the subject's likeness."
In plain English: Modeling is the act of creating a realistic representation of something by studying its shape and features.
"She spends her weekends modeling for local photographers to build her portfolio."
Usage: When referring to the art of creating sculptures or representations from materials like clay, use modeling as a noun to describe the physical act of shaping those objects. This meaning specifically denotes the craft itself rather than the computer science concept of 3D digital modeling or the fashion industry term for posing.
present participle of model
"While she was modeling for the fashion show, her friends took pictures from every angle to capture her poses."
In plain English: To model something means to create a three-dimensional shape out of clay, plasticine, or other materials.
"The young woman spent hours modeling for the fashion designer."
Usage: Use modeling to describe the act of creating a representation of something, such as building a clay sculpture or designing a computer simulation. Do not use it to refer to the profession of posing for fashion photographs, which requires the noun form "modeling" or the verb "to model" in its specific industry context.
The word modeling comes from combining the noun model with the suffix -ing to form a gerund. It entered English as a way to describe the action of creating or representing something based on an original example.