operation

noun

op·​er·​a·​tion ˌä-pə-ˈrā-shən 

1

: performance of a practical work or of something involving the practical application of principles or processes

Practice until you can go through the whole operation without hesitation or thinking.

2

a

: an exertion of power or influence

the operation of a drug

b

: the quality or state of being functional or operative

The plant is now in operation.

c

: a method or manner of functioning

a machine of very simple operation

3

: efficacy, potency

—archaic except in legal usage

4

: a procedure performed on a living body usually with instruments especially for the repair of damage or defect or the restoration of health

needed an operation to remove his appendix

5

: any of various mathematical or logical processes (such as addition) of deriving one entity from others according to a rule

Multiplication is one mathematical operation.

6

a

: a usually military action, mission, or maneuver including its planning and execution

military operations for a large-scale invasion

b

operations plural : the office on the flight line of an airfield where pilots file clearance for flights and where flying from the field is controlled

c

operations plural : the agency of an organization charged with carrying on the principal planning and operating functions of a headquarters and its subordinate units

7

: a business transaction especially when speculative

continued his operations in cotton futures

8

: a single step performed by a computer in the execution of a program (see program entry 1 sense 6a)

9

: a usually small business or establishment

ran a struggling operation

Synonyms

• assignment
• brief
• business
• charge
• detail
• job
• mission
• post

Examples of operation in a Sentence

The family runs a small farming operation.

The company is a billion-dollar operation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Last year, there were 37 launches in all, said Space Force Col. Bryan Titus, operations vice commander at the base. —Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024

What’s needed is a basic understanding of how electricity works, how EV chargers work, how electric vehicles work, how to handle software programs on a computer or smartphone in concert with remote experts at a network operations center. —Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2024

Because cities get swamped with complaints about wayward facilities (which are usually six-bed operations in tract homes in residential neighborhoods, which is a weird place to provide life-or-death health care), but can do precious little about it. —Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 14 Apr. 2024

Those with negative cash flows that don’t have access to borrowing are faced with the decision to finance operations through private equity or the cash preemptively stowed on their balance sheet, said Kimmell at CoinShares. —David Pan, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2024

The company had to pay out a number of personnel had hired for the venture, and rivals like NBCUniversal, Fox News and CBS News have made new strides in developing live-streaming operations. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024

Street sweeping Another spring cleanup is scheduled to start next week, too: St. Paul Public Works will begin its annual spring residential street sweeping operations on Tuesday, April 16. —Molly Guthrey, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2024

Now in its fourth year of operation, the doorbell usually runs between March and late June. —Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024

Zahedi, a former commander of the IRGC’s ground forces, air force, and the deputy commander of its operations, is the most high-profile Iranian target killed since then-US President Donald Trump ordered the assassination of IRGC Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in 2020. —Helen Regan, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English operacion "work, action, procedure performed on a body, functioning," borrowed from Medieval Latin operātiōn-, operātiō, going back to Latin, "application of effort, functioning (of natural forces)," from operārī "to busy oneself, be at work" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns — more at operate

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing operation

• sex change operation

Kids Definition

operation

noun

op·​er·​a·​tion ˌäp-ə-ˈrā-shən 

1

: the act, process, method, or result of operating

does the whole operation without stopping

the operation of a drug

2

: the quality or state of being able to work or function

put a factory into operation

3

: a procedure performed on a living body usually with medical instruments especially to restore health or repair damage or defect

4

: a mathematical or logical process (as addition or multiplication) for getting one mathematical expression from others according to a rule

5

: the process of putting military or naval forces into action

6

: a single step in a computer program

7

: a usually small business or establishment

Medical Definition

operation

noun

op·​er·​a·​tion ˌäp-ə-ˈrā-shən 

: a procedure performed on a living body usually with instruments for the repair of damage or the restoration of health and especially one that involves incision, excision, or suturing