- 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.
Martín Ramírez, who owns a car shop next to the warehouse, said when he initially arrived for work Tuesday morning, the warehouse was filled with busy workers as usual, cleaning and operating heavy machinery.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
For 2027, Gawrelski expects operating expenses of $210 billion to $215 billion, higher than the Wall Street consensus of $202 billion.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
Mistral's new model also comes as a US open-weight rival, Reflection AI, announced its own widely anticipated Beam model on Monday, also promising cheaper operating costs.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
Sunrise owns fewer than a quarter of its communities, earning management fees from operating the rest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 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.
