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operant

American  
[op-er-uhnt] / ˈɒp ər ənt /

adjective

  1. operating; producing effects.

noun

  1. a person or thing that operates.

operant British  
/ ˈɒpərənt /

adjective

  1. producing effects; operating

"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

noun

  1. a person or thing that operates

  2. psychol any response by an organism that is not directly caused by a stimulus

"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

Etymology

Origin of operant

1595–1605; < Late Latin operant- (stem of operāns, present participle of operārī; see operate); see -ant

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.

Operant learning is the basis of most animal training.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Operant conditioning occurs when an animal learns to behave in a certain way to receive a reward or to avoid punishment.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2018

Operant conditioning pervades the classroom, the workplace, and mental health treatment.

From Salon • Oct. 13, 2012

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.