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

Those companies sought and won approval Aug. 10 for rapid expansion of their commercial operations in the city from the California Public Utilities Commission. —Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023

Thus, the cave rescue part of the operation has ended successfully. —Doha Madani, NBC News, 11 Sep. 2023

While the post said that David Chang’s groundbreaking spot would cease operations after 17 years, this is the second closing in its history. —Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 11 Sep. 2023

Watching from the Senate, which has been working to pass all 12 of the regular bills needed to fund government operations through committees ahead of floor votes starting next week, Republicans hope cooler heads in the House will prevail on all fronts. —CBS News, 11 Sep. 2023

The hearing marked a turning point in Amtrak’s attempt to take the reins of the station’s operations and management to pursue multibillion-dollar investments. —Luz Lazo, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2023

Introduced earlier this year by Sen. Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, in response to continuing deaths in San Diego County jails and other local detention centers, Senate Bill 519 initially gave county supervisors the authority to take jail operations away from sheriffs who resisted improved practices. —Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2023

The next steps for Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie could be rehab starts later this week at Double-A Akron, according to Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti. —Joe Noga, cleveland, 10 Sep. 2023

In the lead-up to the 2020 United States elections, for example, US Cyber Command carried out an unusually public offensive operation meant to disrupt the Trickbot botnet. —Matt Burgess, WIRED, 30 Aug. 2023

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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

• 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