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.
Laura Phillips, defending, told the court that between 2007 to 2017 it was a business that had been operating legitimately "before it became dishonest".
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026
It is also the company’s most profitable segment: AWS accounts for most of Amazon’s operating income although it contributes about a fifth of revenue.
From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026
Trimming its headline size is worthwhile, but the larger opportunity lies in the operating framework behind it.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 19, 2026
But there is a vast difference between launching satellites and operating an industrial-scale computing infrastructure in orbit.
From Science Daily • Jun. 19, 2026
By Christmastime, we were all operating at the edge.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
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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.