operational

adjective

op·​er·​a·​tion·​al ˌä-pə-ˈrā-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce operational (audio)
1
: of or relating to operation or to an operation
the operational gap between planning and production
2
: of, relating to, or based on operations
3
a
: of, engaged in, or connected with execution of military or naval operations in campaign or battle
b
: ready for or in condition to undertake a destined function
operationally adverb

Examples of operational in a Sentence

The new airport should be fully operational by next year. The computer network is now operational.
Recent Examples on the Web The studio has been operational since 2011 and delivered over 80 titles in that span, a mix of high-quality anime, live action series and movies. Patrick Frater, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024 The United States has also announced that a floating pier will be built off Gaza’s coast, allowing food to be brought in by ship from Cyprus, although the pier is not expected to be operational for several months. Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024 It’s expected to be operational before the end of the year. Chris Morris, Fortune Europe, 20 Mar. 2024 The first of several Arizona facilities will be operational by the end of this year, the official added, and the chipmaker expects construction to finish in late 2026 in Ohio. Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 The city’s environmental dumping ground Tim Maher, the main author of the study and professor at the University of Indianapolis, said coke plants are notoriously bad polluters and Norwood Place took the brunt of that pollution throughout the 99 years or so that the plant was operational. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Mar. 2024 Israel however has a total of six crossings into Gaza, some of which haven’t been operational for over a decade. Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024 Another key finding is 92% of respondents said their organizations should do more to leverage financial and operational data to inform strategic decisions. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 The Osprey has been in development for four decades but only became operational in 2007. CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'operational.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

operation + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of operational was in 1885

Dictionary Entries Near operational

Cite this Entry

“Operational.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/operational. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

operational

adjective
op·​er·​a·​tion·​al ˌäp-ə-ˈrā-shnəl How to pronounce operational (audio)
-shən-ᵊl
1
: of or relating to operation or an operation
2
: ready for operation

Legal Definition

operational

adjective
op·​er·​a·​tion·​al ˌä-pə-ˈrā-shə-nəl How to pronounce operational (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on operational

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