Phrase guide

Elvis operator

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A binary operator that returns its first operand if that operand evaluates to true, and otherwise evaluates and returns its second operand.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, programming, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

The notation ?: humorously reinterpreted as an emoticon representing the eyes and hairstyle of Elvis Presley.