operate
Americanverb (used without object)
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operates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
operated,
past participle, past
-
operating
present participle
-
to work, perform, or function, as a machine does.
This engine does not operate properly.
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to work or use a machine, apparatus, or the like.
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to act effectively; produce an effect; exert force or influence (often followed by on orupon ).
Their propaganda is beginning to operate on the minds of the people.
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to perform some process of work or treatment.
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Surgery. to perform a surgical procedure.
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(of a drug) to produce the effect intended.
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Military.
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to carry on operations in war.
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to give orders and accomplish military acts, as distinguished from doing staff work.
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-
to carry on transactions in securities, or some commodity, especially speculatively or on a large scale.
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Informal. to use devious means for one's own gain; insinuate oneself; finagle.
a man who knows how to operate with the ladies.
verb (used with object)
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operates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
operated,
past participle, past
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operating
present participle
-
to manage or use (a machine, device, etc.).
Do you know how to operate a forklift?
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to put or keep (a factory, industrial system, ranch, etc.) working or in operation.
to operate a coal mine.
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to bring about, effect, or produce, as by action or the exertion of force or influence.
verb
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to function or cause to function
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(tr) to control the functioning of
operate a machine
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to manage, direct, run, or pursue (a business, system, etc)
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(intr) to perform a surgical operation (upon a person or animal)
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(intr) to produce a desired or intended effect
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to treat or process in a particular or specific way
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(intr) to conduct military or naval operations
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(intr) to deal in securities on a stock exchange
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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reoperateverb (used with object)
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preoperateverb (used without object)
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operatableadjective
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unoperatableadjective
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unoperatedadjective
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well-operatedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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operatesimple
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operatessimple
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have operatedperfect
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has operatedperfect
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am operatingprogressive
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are operatingprogressive
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is operatingprogressive
-
have been operatingperfect progressive
-
has been operatingperfect progressive
Past
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operatedsimple
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had operatedperfect
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was operatingprogressive
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were operatingprogressive
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had been operatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of operate
First recorded in 1600–10; from Late Latin operātus, past participle of operārī, -āre “to work, be efficacious, effect, produce,” Latin: “to busy oneself,” verbal derivative of opera effort, work, akin to opus “work”; see -ate 1
Explanation
You'll want to find a skilled surgeon to operate on your hand. Once your hand is working again, you'll be able to operate your buzz saw with ease. Operate comes from a Latin root related to opus, "work," and it's a verb that can be used for all kinds of work. Your computer can operate smoothly, the lottery can operate successfully, your school can operate a day care center in some vacant classrooms, and you can operate your vehicle in a safe manner. If you're an unshakable optimist, your friends may say you "operate in a dream world."
Vocabulary lists containing operate
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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.
See Examples For:
Of the district’s 738 campuses, 481 operate at or below 60% capacity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
EET Fuels, which bought the refinery from Shell in 2011 for £842m, holds a permit to operate the site.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
"It can operate at about one kilometre plus. And it works when conditions are favourable, when the attack approach angle is suitable," he told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
“It is essential to assess whether the second wave will operate more powerfully on both activity levels and inflation dynamics than the first wave,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
In fact, only by standing on a wooden box could I reach the controls of the machine I was assigned to operate.
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
Nottingham Express Transit, which operates the tram network, also said it had turned off the overhead power lines in the area due to the fire.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
McClendon died in a car crash a decade ago, but Mike Knopp, founder of Riversport Foundation, the nonprofit that operates the site, credits him with planting the seeds of the Olympic project.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Researchers do not yet know whether this same E-cadherin dependent mechanism operates in adult zebrafish or mice, or in any type of human tissue.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 5, 2026
Suncor operates a refinery in Colorado, while ExxonMobil has deep ties to the Rocky Mountain State.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
When working well, the entire boat operates like a well-lubricated machine, with every rower serving as a vital link in a chain that powers that machine forward, somewhat like a bicycle chain.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
The current Labour government's Defence Investment Plan includes more than £350m to double the number of Sky Sabre systems operated by the British Army, with ground-based air defence sitting alongside air and maritime capabilities.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
In early August, while Jackie was in critical care, a female eagle first appeared on cameras operated by Friends of Big Bear Valley.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Before Wednesday’s incident, FlyDubai operated regular flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
According to the researchers, the study team operated independently from the funder and retained full control over the analysis and reporting of the results.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026
Racism operated as a deeply held belief system based on “truths” beyond question or doubt.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
“By modernizing and upgrading turbines, steam generators, and digital control systems at operating plants, uprates deliver substantial capacity gains without the multi-year timelines or interconnection bottlenecks associated with greenfield construction,” the blog post noted.
From MarketWatch ● 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
“Facilities with substantial unused capacity continue to generate operating and maintenance costs,” the report states.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Public transport was operating and a few shops were open, while pro-government forces patrolled the streets.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
Or that the soda machine near the east wing hadn’t been operating for over a year.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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.
