operation

American  

[op-uh-rey-shuhn] / ˌɒp əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an act or instance, process, or manner of functioning or operating.

2. the state of being operative (usually preceded by in orinto ).

   a rule no longer in operation.

3. the power to act; efficacy, influence, or force.

4. the exertion of force, power, or influence; agency.

   the operation of alcohol on the mind.

5. a process of a practical or mechanical nature in some form of work or production.

   a delicate operation in watchmaking.

6. a course or procedure of productive or industrial activity.

   building operations.

7. a particular process or course.

   mental operations.

8. a business transaction, especially one of a speculative nature; deal.

   a shady operation.

9. a business, especially one run on a large scale.

   a multinational operation.

10. Surgery. a procedure aimed at restoring or improving the health of a patient, as by correcting a malformation, removing diseased parts, implanting new parts, etc.

11. Mathematics.

    1. a mathematical process, as addition, multiplication, or differentiation.

    2. the action of applying a mathematical process to a quantity or quantities.

12. Computers. any discrete activity or action that is performed by a computer, as reading, writing, processing, sending, or receiving data.

    The http request operation has timed out.

13. Military.

    1. a campaign, mission, maneuver, or action.

    2. Usually operations the conduct of a campaign, mission, etc.

    3. operations, a headquarters, office, or place from which a military campaign, air traffic to and from an airfield, or any of various other activities, is planned, conducted, and controlled.

    4. operations, the people who work at such a headquarters.

---

operation British  

/ ˌɒpəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act, process, or manner of operating

2. the state of being in effect, in action, or operative (esp in the phrases in or into operation )

3. a process, method, or series of acts, esp of a practical or mechanical nature

4. surgery any manipulation of the body or one of its organs or parts to repair damage, arrest the progress of a disease, remove foreign matter, etc

5. 1. a military or naval action, such as a campaign, manoeuvre, etc

   2. ( capital and prenominal when part of a name )

      Operation Crossbow

6. maths

   1. any procedure, such as addition, multiplication, involution, or differentiation, in which one or more numbers or quantities are operated upon according to specific rules

   2. a function from a set onto itself

7. a commercial or financial transaction

---

operation Scientific  

/ ŏp′ə-rā′shən /

1. Medicine A surgical procedure for remedying an injury, ailment, defect, or dysfunction.

2. Mathematics A process or action, such as addition, substitution, transposition, or differentiation, performed in a specified sequence and in accordance with specific rules.

3. A logical operation.

4. Computer Science An action resulting from a single instruction.

---

Other Word Forms

• misoperation noun
• preoperation noun
• reoperation noun
• suboperation noun

Etymology

Origin of operation

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English operacioun, oparacion, operation, from Latin operātiōn- (stem of operātiō ), equivalent to operāt(us) + -iōn- noun suffix of action or condition; operate

Example Sentences

But Pivotal says it offers something different: a single-person aircraft for recreational use and short-haul travel that also has the potential to support emergency response and military operations.

From Los Angeles Times

Seven years later, carrying out the same operation in L.A. or other U.S. cities feels almost impossible without drawing angry crowds and requiring multiple officers, at times across federal agencies, to detain a single target.

From Los Angeles Times

Isak is recovering from an operation on an ankle injury that included a fibula fracture, which has wrecked his first season on Merseyside.

From Barron's

In April, the Panamanian Comptroller's Office accused the firm of allegedly failing to pay the state $1.2 billion from its operations, according to an audit by the agency in charge of overseeing public spending.

From Barron's

Shutdowns temporarily freeze funding for non-essential federal operations, forcing agencies to halt services and place workers on unpaid leave or require them to work without pay.

From Barron's

Related Words

• action
• activity
• affair
• agency
• application
• deal
• effort
• enterprise
• exercise
• force
• movement
• procedure
• process
• service
• transaction
• trip
• use
• work