operate
verb (used without object)
to work, perform, or function, as a machine does.
have operated
-
present perfectof operate.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
The Times used public records to identify around 100 nonprofits, foundations and other organizations that have operated in support of the LAPD’s broader mission.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
Ituri has been under military rule since 2021, with the civilian authority replaced by a military general in an attempt to neutralise dozens of armed groups which have operated in the area for many years.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
It likely helped early proteins embed themselves into primitive membranes, offering insight into how the earliest cells may have operated.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 10, 2026
This year, Chinese military and research vessels have operated around Alaska’s Arctic waters in unprecedented numbers, the Dept. of Homeland Security reported in November.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025
Other more powerful causes, therefore, must have operated to counteract the natural influence of scientific truth in those cases where men eminent for science have spurned away from them the authority of religion.
From The Religion of Geology and Its Connected Sciences by Edward Hitchcock
