operation

American  

[op-uh-rey-shuhn] / ˌɒp əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

• operations
  plural

1. an act or instance, process, or manner of functioning or operating.

2. the state of being operative (usually preceded by in orinto ).

   a rule no longer in operation.

3. the power to act; efficacy, influence, or force.

4. the exertion of force, power, or influence; agency.

   the operation of alcohol on the mind.

5. a process of a practical or mechanical nature in some form of work or production.

   a delicate operation in watchmaking.

6. a course or procedure of productive or industrial activity.

   building operations.

7. a particular process or course.

   mental operations.

8. a business transaction, especially one of a speculative nature; deal.

   a shady operation.

9. a business, especially one run on a large scale.

   a multinational operation.

10. Surgery. a procedure aimed at restoring or improving the health of a patient, as by correcting a malformation, removing diseased parts, implanting new parts, etc.

11. Mathematics.

    1. a mathematical process, as addition, multiplication, or differentiation.

    2. the action of applying a mathematical process to a quantity or quantities.

12. Computers. any discrete activity or action that is performed by a computer, as reading, writing, processing, sending, or receiving data.

    The http request operation has timed out.

13. Military.

    1. a campaign, mission, maneuver, or action.

    2. Usually operations the conduct of a campaign, mission, etc.

    3. operations, a headquarters, office, or place from which a military campaign, air traffic to and from an airfield, or any of various other activities, is planned, conducted, and controlled.

    4. operations, the people who work at such a headquarters.

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operation British  

/ ˌɒpəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act, process, or manner of operating

2. the state of being in effect, in action, or operative (esp in the phrases in or into operation )

3. a process, method, or series of acts, esp of a practical or mechanical nature

4. surgery any manipulation of the body or one of its organs or parts to repair damage, arrest the progress of a disease, remove foreign matter, etc

5. 1. a military or naval action, such as a campaign, manoeuvre, etc

   2. ( capital and prenominal when part of a name )

      Operation Crossbow

6. maths

   1. any procedure, such as addition, multiplication, involution, or differentiation, in which one or more numbers or quantities are operated upon according to specific rules

   2. a function from a set onto itself

7. a commercial or financial transaction

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operation Scientific  

/ ŏp′ə-rā′shən /

1. Medicine A surgical procedure for remedying an injury, ailment, defect, or dysfunction.

2. Mathematics A process or action, such as addition, substitution, transposition, or differentiation, performed in a specified sequence and in accordance with specific rules.

3. A logical operation.

4. Computer Science An action resulting from a single instruction.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• misoperation
  noun
• preoperation
  noun
• reoperation
  noun
• suboperation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• operations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of operation

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English operacioun, oparacion, operation, from Latin operātiōn- (stem of operātiō ), equivalent to operāt(us) + -iōn- noun suffix of action or condition; see origin at operate

Explanation

Operation can refer to medical surgery, a military campaign, or mathematical methods, such as multiplication and division. Operation comes from the Latin word opus (“work”) and can refer to a whole range of practical activities and work. In driver's education, you learn the proper operation of a motor vehicle. If you’re going to make your lemonade franchise a success, you’re going to have to learn the rules for prudent operation of a business — how to run it — and you’ll also have to figure out the operation of a lemon squeezer.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

operation operations

During one recent overnight attack, AFP journalists were granted rare access to shadow "Esko", the channel's administrator, on condition that his identity and some details of the operation remained undisclosed.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

Jane Swanson, a board member of Mothers for Peace, waits to speak during public comment following a hearing for extending the operation of Diablo on July 30.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026

Those with the benefit of replays – there was no VAR in operation in Wroclaw – felt one of them was offside.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Once we had those clues, we were able to search online archives of leaked computer data and unearth a much larger trove of information on the operation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

They would get top officials at the CIA to tell the FBI that Watergate had been an intelligence operation, a matter of national security.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Rising wages coupled with consumer demand for speedy home delivery are pushing logistics operators to automate more warehouse operations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

More than 100 people remain missing, but rescue operations have been called off in many buildings.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

At Wendy’s, recently appointed Chief Executive Bob Wright has been traveling the country to meet with franchisees, laying out a five-point plan covering food, branding, operations, restaurants and digital strategy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Director of football operations Damian Vidagany had previously confirmed Martinez would stay at Villa Park but he is now more likely to depart before the transfer deadline.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

The letter and photo were sent to the CIA’s new headquarters in Langley, Virginia, where they landed on the desk of Joe Bulik, the officer in charge of America’s secret operations inside the Soviet Union.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• action
• activity
• affair
• agency
• application
• deal
• effort
• enterprise
• exercise
• force
• movement
• procedure
• process
• service
• transaction
• trip
• use
• work