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op·er·a·tion | \ ˌä-pə-ˈrā-shən 
\
\Definition of operation
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.
2a : 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
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.
6a : 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
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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 Sun did not give details on how the data will be collected, whether the app will be compulsory, or how the score will affect people's daily life and business operations.
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Nectar Gan, CNN, "With the coronavirus under control, this Chinese city wants to score and rank its residents based on their health and lifestyle," 25 May 2020 With dozens of plants closed or cutting back operations, meat shortages have been forcing some grocery stores to ration grilling staples like ground beef and chicken breasts.
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Megan Molteni, Wired, "Covid-19 Makes the Case for More Meatpacking Robots," 25 May 2020 Christopher Nolan hasn't been shy about his affection for MacGruber, the Will Forte film about a special operations agent that parodies the Richard Dean Anderson character MacGyver.
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Rosy Cordero, EW.com, "MacGruber superfan Christopher Nolan can't wait for Peacock series," 24 May 2020 Sheriff Javier Salazar said his deputies were involved in a routine operation for violent crime and ran a license plate of a car that was driving near the 7400 block of FM 78 in east Bexar County.
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Elizabeth Zavala, ExpressNews.com, "Suspect tied to possible stolen car shoots, kills self as Bexar deputies were in pursuit," 24 May 2020 More Even highly manual operations like driving trucks are ripe for such advances.
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Jennifer Smith, WSJ, "Trucking Looks to Bundle Up Technology," 24 May 2020 In 2001, Bisignano’s operations outfit encompassed 16,000 employees in downtown Manhattan, many of whom worked at 7 World Trade Center.
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Shawn Tully, Fortune, "This Jamie Dimon protege has weathered six crises. Here is his coronavirus playbook," 24 May 2020 The firm does not disclose figures but by the reckoning of Simeon Gutman of Morgan Stanley, an investment bank, Walmart has so far invested a total of $15bn in online operations, which made a loss of over $1.6bn last year.
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The Economist, "A nimble beast Walmart ekes out an edge in groceries during the pandemic," 23 May 2020 The report recognized that needs and resources will vary widely among counties and recommended each form their own committees to plan a safe return to in-person court operations.
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Bruce Vielmetti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "State Supreme Court says counties can decide when to return to in-person court operations," 23 May 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'operation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for operation
operation
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of operation
: a process in which a doctor cuts into someone's body in order to repair or remove a damaged or diseased part
: a usually small business or organization
: an activity of a business or organization
See the full definition for operation in the English Language Learners Dictionary
operation
nounop·er·a·tion | \ ˌä-pə-ˈrā-shən \
\Kids Definition of operation
1 : a set of actions for a particular purpose
a rescue operation
2 : a medical procedure that involves cutting into a living body in order to repair or remove a damaged or diseased part
I need an operation to remove my appendix.
3 : the process of putting military forces into action
naval operations
4 : the state of working or being able to work
The factory is now in operation.
5 : a method or manner of working
The camera is designed for easy operation.
6 : a process (as addition or multiplication) of getting one mathematical expression from others according to a rule
7 : a single step performed by a computer in carrying out a program
operation
nounop·er·a·tion | \ ˌäp-ə-ˈrā-shən \
\Medical Definition of operation
: 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
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Time Traveler for operation
The first known use of operation was in the 14th century
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