operational

[op-uh-rey-shuh-nl]

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adjective

able to function or be used; functional: How soon will the new factory be operational?
Military.
1. of, relating to, or involved in military operations.
2. on active service or combat duty: All units of the command are operational.
of or relating to operations or an operation.

Origin of operational

First recorded in 1920–25; operation + -al¹

Related formsop·er·a·tion·al·ly, adverbnon·op·er·a·tion·al, adjectivepre·op·er·a·tion·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for operational

Contemporary Examples

There was virtually no government oversight of safety and operational standards.
Who Will Get AsiaAir 8501’s Black Boxes?
Clive Irving
December 30, 2014
In the Horn of Africa, the U.S. military has long eschewed the use of drones in favor of manned aircraft for operational reasons.
Why Drones Don’t Cut It in Syria
Robert Caruso
September 24, 2014
The F-35 was originally intended to be operational with the U.S. Marine Corps by 2010.
America’s $400 Billion Stealth Jet Fleet Is Grounded
Dave Majumdar
June 28, 2014
We found that even in cases where individuals acted alone, in an operational sense, they were not radicalized in a vacuum.
The Syrian War Comes Home to Europe
Ghaffar Hussain
June 2, 2014
First, at that height the airplane would be way beyond its operational ceiling and uncontrollable.
The Baseless Rush to Blame the Pilots of Flight 370
Clive Irving
March 16, 2014

Historical Examples

"We'll have to find out where the fellow has his base," Operational Planning said.
Space Viking
Henry Beam Piper
For centuries, writing was only a container for speech, not operational language.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin
Knowledge is reduced to information; understanding is only operational.
The Civilization of Illiteracy
Mihai Nadin
The Terrier was the Navy's first operational surface to air missile.
Trinity [Atomic Test] Site
The National Atomic Museum
To be sure, we emphasize and demand brilliance as the operational goal.
Shock and Awe
Harlan K. Ullman

British Dictionary definitions for operational

operational

adjective

of or relating to an operation or operations
in working order and ready for use
military capable of, needed in, or actually involved in operations

Derived Formsoperationally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for operational

adj.

1922, "pertaining to operation," from operation + -al (1). Meaning "in a state of functionality" is from 1944.

operational

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}operational

Examples from the Web for operational

Contemporary Examples

There was virtually no government oversight of safety and operational standards.

In the Horn of Africa, the U.S. military has long eschewed the use of drones in favor of manned aircraft for operational reasons.

The F-35 was originally intended to be operational with the U.S. Marine Corps by 2010.

We found that even in cases where individuals acted alone, in an operational sense, they were not radicalized in a vacuum.

First, at that height the airplane would be way beyond its operational ceiling and uncontrollable.

Historical Examples

"We'll have to find out where the fellow has his base," Operational Planning said.

For centuries, writing was only a container for speech, not operational language.

Knowledge is reduced to information; understanding is only operational.

The Terrier was the Navy's first operational surface to air missile.

To be sure, we emphasize and demand brilliance as the operational goal.

operational

Word Origin and History for operational

adj.

Origin of operational