operate

[ op-uh-reyt ]

/ ˈɒp əˌreɪt /

See synonyms for: operate / operated / operates / operating on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), op·er·at·ed, op·er·at·ing.

to work, perform, or function, as a machine does: This engine does not operate properly.

to work or use a machine, apparatus, or the like.

to act effectively; produce an effect; exert force or influence (often followed by on or upon): Their propaganda is beginning to operate on the minds of the people.

to perform some process of work or treatment.

Surgery. to perform a surgical procedure.

(of a drug) to produce the effect intended.

Military.

to carry on operations in war.
to give orders and accomplish military acts, as distinguished from doing staff work.

to carry on transactions in securities, or some commodity, especially speculatively or on a large scale.

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), op·er·at·ed, op·er·at·ing.

to manage or use (a machine, device, etc.): to operate a switchboard.

to put or keep (a factory, industrial system, ranch, etc.) working or in operation: to operate a coal mine.

to bring about, effect, or produce, as by action or the exertion of force or influence.

QUIZZES

THIS PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ IS PERFECT PRACTICE FOR THE REAL TEST

In our third teacher-created PSAT practice test there are new and unique vocabulary terms you may have never heard of! Can you guess what they mean?

Question 1 of 10

seclusion

a false belief or opinion.

the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid.

the state of being isolated, kept apart, or withdrawn into solitude.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of operate

1600–10; <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 -ate¹

OTHER WORDS FROM operate

op·er·at·a·ble, adjectivepre·op·er·ate, verb (used without object), pre·op·er·at·ed, pre·op·er·at·ing.re·op·er·ate, verb (used with object), re·op·er·at·ed, re·op·er·at·ing.un·op·er·at·a·ble, adjective

un·op·er·at·ed, adjectivewell-op·er·at·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for operate

The center operates from a magnificent Victorian home on Telegraph Ave.
Berkeley: A City That Fights for the Rights of All|LGBTQ-Editor|November 20, 2020|No Straight News
The panelists on the Fortune Investor Roundtable see that trend not just as a good thing, but as something that could lead to permanent, meaningful changes in how companies operate in the world.
Why investors like socially responsible companies|matthewheimer|November 20, 2020|Fortune
Fitness centers and sports facilities can operate at 75 percent capacity, with a 25-person limit.
Virginia’s coronavirus numbers are rising. Here’s what you need to know.|Antonio Olivo|November 20, 2020|Washington Post
That’s why we will continue to operate HuffPost as its own brand and its own digital destination.
BuzzFeed buys HuffPost from Verizon in latest new-media deal|Verne Kopytoff|November 19, 2020|Fortune

In Phase 1, according to health guidance, schools should not operate in-person.
Once again, a deal between D.C. and the teachers union collapses|Perry Stein|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
AirAsia Indonesia, which operated Flight 8501, is the Indonesian subsidiary of AirAsia, which is based in Malaysia.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501|Clive Irving|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
During two years in Iranian custody, Abdolhamid provided crucial details of how Jundullah operated.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan|Umar Farooq|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She operated it for 16 years before putting it in the hands of one of her mistresses.
Whip It: Secrets of a Dominatrix|Justin Jones|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It would inject a threat of accountability into power, and upend the impunity wartime leaders had operated under for years.
The Man Who Invented the Word ‘Genocide’|Nina Strochlic|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It added that it would be “operated exclusively for public and social-welfare purposes.”
Mystery Man Buys Kentucky for the GOP|Center for Public Integrity|October 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If the float is too high on its stem, the gasoline control valve may not be operated until the fuel overflows in its chamber.
The Gasoline Motor|Harold Whiting Slauson
Over one of them the woven product passes as the loom is operated, while the other holds the unwoven warp.
The Library of Work and Play: Home Decoration|Charles Franklin Warner
Washington was on the watch for them, and operated the diving chamber.
Under the Ocean to the South Pole|Roy Rockwood
The system has not operated to take women from their homes, nor has it tended to make them in any way masculine.
The History of Woman Suffrage, Volume IV|Various
The slide valve may also be operated by hand before the engine is started, or it may be operated by a steam reversing gear.
Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II|Joshua Rose

British Dictionary definitions for operate

operate

/ (ˈɒpəˌreɪt) /

verb

to function or cause to function

(tr) to control the functioning ofoperate a machine

to manage, direct, run, or pursue (a business, system, etc)

(intr) to perform a surgical operation (upon a person or animal)

(intr) to produce a desired or intended effect

(tr usually foll by on) to treat or process in a particular or specific way

(intr) to conduct military or naval operations

(intr) to deal in securities on a stock exchange

Word Origin for operate

C17: from Latin operāri to work

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

Medical definitions for operate

operate

[ ŏp′ə-rāt′ ]

v.

To perform surgery.

MEANINGS

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operate

verb (used without object), op·er·at·ed, op·er·at·ing.

verb (used with object), op·er·at·ed, op·er·at·ing.

QUIZZES

THIS PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ IS PERFECT PRACTICE FOR THE REAL TEST

Origin of operate

OTHER WORDS FROM operate

Example sentences from the Web for operate

British Dictionary definitions for operate

verb

Word Origin for operate

Medical definitions for operate

v.

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

operate

verb (used without object), op·er·at·ed, op·er·at·ing.

verb (used with object), op·er·at·ed, op·er·at·ing.

QUIZZES

THIS PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ IS PERFECT PRACTICE FOR THE REAL TEST

Origin of operate

OTHER WORDS FROM operate

Words related to operate

Example sentences from the Web for operate

British Dictionary definitions for operate

verb

Word Origin for operate

Medical definitions for operate

v.