operation

noun

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

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.

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

Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing operation Learn More About operation

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 Once, while wearing his usual hospital gear, Dr. Myron Rolle walked into a room at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to speak to a patient about an upcoming operation. — Scooby Axson, USA TODAY, 18 May 2022 Finland boasts one of the largest and most well-prepared armies in Europe, with 280,000 troops mobilized and some 900,000 reservists, plus an extensive navy and air force and an advanced intelligence operation. — Patrick Smith, NBC News, 18 May 2022 Fetterman had a cash advantage from the start, with high name identification from two statewide campaigns and an impressive small-dollar fundraising operation like the one that powered Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns. — Tribune News Service, oregonlive, 17 May 2022 Russian troops faced no real adversary in Syria; the war was mostly an air force operation where the pilots could hover over targets at will. — New York Times, 16 May 2022 Authorities called in an elaborate fencing operation involving everything from cigarettes to appliances, but police said the group's biggest item was formula. — Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 16 May 2022 Agents were conducting an undercover drug operation and Schumacher was sitting in an SUV in front of Johnson’s home when Johnson walked toward the vehicle. — cleveland, 16 May 2022 Blinken spoke with Abu Akleh’s family on Saturday, according to a senior State Department official Background: The veteran Al Jazeera journalist was shot dead last week while covering an Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin. — CNN, 16 May 2022 But if this assumption is true, an additional operation is needed to respond to these signals. — György Buzsáki, Scientific American, 14 May 2022 See More

These 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.

History and Etymology for operation

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

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Dictionary Entries Near operation

operating theatre

operation

operational

Statistics for operation

Last Updated

21 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Operation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/operation. Accessed 22 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for operation

operation

noun

op·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

noun

op·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