- present participle of operate.
operating
Americanadjective
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used or engaged in performing operations.
an operating surgeon.
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of, for, or pertaining to operations.
an operating budget.
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of or relating to the proper operation of a machine, appliance, etc..
a manual of operating instructions.
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Railroads. of, pertaining, or belonging to railroad workers, as engineers or firemen, who are directly engaged in the mechanical operation of trains.
an operating union.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of operating
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.
Across the strait, Batam is just as attractive to investors - from the US, China, Australia, Singapore - because of relatively low operating costs, proximity to Singapore and connections to major subsea cable routes.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
This has ricocheted through the trucking sector, where fuel represents one of the industry’s highest operating expenses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
Sykes summed up “a pretty strong operating environment for banks” by citing high levels of consumer spending and continuing increases in U.S. households’ net worth.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 11, 2026
"It also allowed us to gain valuable experience operating a South Korean container ship in polar waters and to collect navigational data," Lee said on X.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
I was also operating, for the first time ever, without the tacit protection of my older brother.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
