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.
For Walmart, the bottom line matters because its tech-like growth story, which has helped catapult its share price to 43 times forward earnings, is predicated on growing operating profits faster than revenue.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
The Adani Group is one of India's largest business empires, operating businesses ranging from ports and power plants to cement factories and media houses.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
The charity also paid about 80% of the union's operating costs - around £6m annually, including £5m on salaries.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
The similarities to the operating room were obvious: the physical space was rigid, the moves repetitive, the pressure intense.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
“He has more than seventy separate hexes operating on him. You ought to untie seventy knots.”
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
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.
