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
Travel industry leaders and major airlines warn the proposal would devastate tourism, choke international cargo and create massive operational snarls.
—
Josh Funk, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
However, most reporting on these systems comes from demonstrations and prototype testing, with little evidence they have been fielded to operational units.
—Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
The two companies will conduct technical and economic assessments to determine the operational requirements, production scalability, and commercial costs of the collaboration.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 May 2026
Clubs who have played in the Premier League for a long time build the infrastructure to meet operational demands, resulting in hundreds of staff on the payroll.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for operational
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Josh Funk, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
However, most reporting on these systems comes from demonstrations and prototype testing, with little evidence they have been fielded to operational units.
—Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
The two companies will conduct technical and economic assessments to determine the operational requirements, production scalability, and commercial costs of the collaboration.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 May 2026
Clubs who have played in the Premier League for a long time build the infrastructure to meet operational demands, resulting in hundreds of staff on the payroll.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 23 May 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 27 May. 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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