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

Synonyms of operational

• operating
• operative
• functioning

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

Rather than treating cryptography as static infrastructure, organizations must treat it as an operational asset that requires continuous monitoring, governance, inventory, prioritization and life cycle management. — Evgeny Gervis, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Beijing is making a big bet on green hydrogen, more than tripling its annual operational capacity since the end of 2024, Bloomberg reported. — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026

However, these solar cells were operational in shallow water of depths of about six feet (two meters or less). — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026

Those operational resources often determine whether a site opens. — Tim Grailer, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

operation + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing operational

• pre-operational

Rhymes for operational

• aspirational
• avocational
• calculational
• combinational
• computational
• conformational
• confrontational
• congregational
• conversational
• correlational
• deformational
• derivational

Kids 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 

: ministerial