operational

[ op-uh-rey-shuh-nl ]

/ ˌɒp əˈreɪ ʃə nl /

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See synonyms for operational on Thesaurus.com

adjective

able to function or be used; functional: How soon will the new factory be operational?

Military.

of, relating to, or involved in military operations.
on active service or combat duty: All units of the command are operational.

of or relating to operations or an operation.

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QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Origin of operational

First recorded in 1920–25; operation + -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM operational

op·er·a·tion·al·ly, adverbnon·op·er·a·tion·al, adjectivepre·op·er·a·tion·al, adjective

Words nearby operational

operating room, operating system, operating table, operating theatre, operation, operational, operational amplifier, operational calculus, operationalism, operationalize, Operation Barbarossa

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use operational in a sentence

SpaceX recently successfully completed its first crewed demonstration mission of its Dragon spacecraft, and could launch its first operational astronaut mission to the International Space Station as early as October.
Boeing and NASA target December for second try at uncrewed orbital demonstration flight|Darrell Etherington|August 28, 2020|TechCrunch
Most operational weather forecasts are good to about 10 to 14 days but no further.
Improved three-week weather forecasts could save lives from disaster|Alexandra Witze|August 27, 2020|Science News
We are currently monitoring to ensure that these services are operational.
As a new school year begins, Zoom endures a 4-hour outage|Andrew Nusca|August 24, 2020|Fortune
What’s more, all of these database types can be run as managed services in the cloud, eliminating the need for operational overhead and expensive software licensing.
E-learning? There’s a database for that. Real-time data? That, too|Jason Sparapani|August 20, 2020|MIT Technology Review

As of today, sports betting is fully legal and operational in several states, with others having already passed legislation.
The Economics of Sports Gambling (Ep. 388 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|August 20, 2020|Freakonomics
“The U.S. Navy will attain IOC [initial operational capability] in 2018 with 3F software,” DellaVedova wrote.
Pentagon Misfires in Stealth Jet Scandal|Dave Majumdar|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There was virtually no government oversight of safety and operational standards.
Who Will Get AsiaAir 8501’s Black Boxes?|Clive Irving|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Procurement budgets for weapon systems and operational-cost accounts are separated by a near-unbreachable wall.
America’s 60 Year-Old Nuclear Bomber Might Finally Get a New Engine|Bill Sweetman|October 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Paul accomplishes this largely by cutting overseas operational costs and war spending from $159 billion to nothing by 2016.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: October 26|PunditFact.com|October 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Kowalski may have a point from an operational-security perspective.
How the Pentagon Strangles Its Most Advanced Stealth Warplanes|Bill Sweetman|October 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As yet, the project had had no specific target; nor had it been fully operational as of midnight yesterday.
Where I Wasn't Going|Walt Richmond
However, he has managed to leave Project Hot Rod operational while unattended.
Where I Wasn't Going|Walt Richmond
So long as Hot Rod still existed, was still within their reach, the plan was operational.
Where I Wasn't Going|Walt Richmond
Fourth, Rapid Dominance aims to achieve new levels of operational competence that can virtually institutionalize "brilliance."
Shock and Awe|Harlan K. Ullman
It is also unlikely that any operational construct, no matter how brilliantly conceived, could overcome such a disconnect.
Shock and Awe|Harlan K. Ullman

British Dictionary definitions for operational

operational

/ (ˌɒpəˈreɪʃənəl) /

adjective

of or relating to an operation or operations

in working order and ready for use

military capable of, needed in, or actually involved in operations

Derived forms of operational

operationally, adverb

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

operational

Origin of operational

OTHER WORDS FROM operational

Words nearby operational

Words related to operational

How to use operational in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for operational

Derived forms of operational