- present participle of operate.
operating
Americanadjective
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used or engaged in performing operations.
an operating surgeon.
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of, for, or pertaining to operations.
an operating budget.
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of or relating to the proper operation of a machine, appliance, etc..
a manual of operating instructions.
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Railroads. of, pertaining, or belonging to railroad workers, as engineers or firemen, who are directly engaged in the mechanical operation of trains.
an operating union.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of operating
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Payments for the latest settlement will be spread over seven years, so it only represents a 2% to 3% drag on the company’s operating cash flow, the analysts estimate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Although the exact number of unregistered homes is unknown, Ofsted estimates there are around 900 illegal children's homes operating in England.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
The new test extended the operating time to more than five minutes.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
The standards taking effect July 1, 2027 will cover autonomous vehicles that require a human back-up driver, as well as independently operating vehicles such as the robotaxis made by US manufacturer Waymo.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
It’s a good thing Martha had us aim for ninety percent at Nationals, because we seniors definitely weren’t operating at one hundred percent.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
