operational
adjective
op·er·a·tion·al
ˌä-pə-ˈrā-sh(ə-)nəl 
1
: of or relating to operation or to an operation
the operational gap between planning and production
2
: of, relating to, or based on operations
3
a
: of, engaged in, or connected with execution of military or naval operations in campaign or battle
b
: ready for or in condition to undertake a destined function
operationally
adverb
Examples of operational in a Sentence
The new airport should be fully operational by next year.
The computer network is now operational.
Recent Examples on the Web
By removing the need for workers to enter freezer aisles for routine inventory checks, Corvus Robotics says the system improves worker safety while lowering operational overhead.
—
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
The company promotes its unified global payroll and workforce platforms as tools that can cut operational costs, reduce manual reconciliations, and provide real-time visibility into workforce data across more than 100 countries, backed by in-country experts and robust security standards.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
That estimate includes the operational costs of Pac-12 Enterprises, which will produce games for The CW and USA Network.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
This operational reality matters as much as the tip percentage itself.
—Ricardo Cici, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for operational
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Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
The company promotes its unified global payroll and workforce platforms as tools that can cut operational costs, reduce manual reconciliations, and provide real-time visibility into workforce data across more than 100 countries, backed by in-country experts and robust security standards.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
That estimate includes the operational costs of Pac-12 Enterprises, which will produce games for The CW and USA Network.
—Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
This operational reality matters as much as the tip percentage itself.
—Ricardo Cici, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for operational
Cite this Entry
“Operational.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/operational. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
operational
adjective
op·er·a·tion·al
ˌäp-ə-ˈrā-shnəl
-shən-ᵊl
1
: of or relating to operation or an operation
2
: ready for operation
Legal Definition
operational
adjective
op·er·a·tion·al
ˌä-pə-ˈrā-shə-nəl
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