Standard Lemma guide

operational

adj · 8 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌɒp.əˈɹeɪ.ʃə.nəl/
  • London: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Southern-England: Berkshire Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American, dialectal: /ˌɑ.pəˈɹeɪ.ʃə.nəl/ of Canada
  • General-American, dialectal: /ˌɑ.pɚˈeɪ.ʃə.nəl/ of Canada
  • Canada, dialectal: /ˌɒp.əˈɹeɪ.ʃə.nəl/ of the US
  • Australian: /ˌɔp.əˈɹæɪ.ʃə.nəl/
  • New-Zealand: /ˌɒp.əˈɹæɪ.ʃə.nəl/
  • New-Zealand: [ˌɔ̟p.əˈɹæɪ.ʃə.nəl]
  • CMU ARPABET: AA2 P ER0 EY1 SH AH0 N AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or relating to operations, especially military operations.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Functioning and ready for use.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Effective or operative.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Determined by means of practical measures.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

(military) of or intended for or involved in military operations

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: nonoperational

6

adjective

Meaning 6

pertaining to a process or series of actions for achieving a result

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • operational difficulties
  • they assumed their operational positions

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

being in effect or operation- Leslie Marmon Silko

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • de facto apartheid is still operational even in the `new' African nations
  • bus service is in operation during the emergency
  • the company had several operating divisions

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: in operation(p), operating(a)

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

fit or ready for use or service

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the toaster was still functional even after being dropped
  • the lawnmower is a bit rusty but still usable
  • an operational aircraft
  • the dishwasher is now in working order

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: functional, usable, useable, operable

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h3ep- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h3épos Proto-Italic *opos Latin opus Latin opera Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -or Latin operor Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin operātiōder. Old French operacionbor. Middle English operacioun English operation English -al English operational From operation + -al.

Across languages

Translations

56 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: գործառնական (gorcaṙnakan) — of or relating to operations, especially military operations
  • Bulgarian: оперативен (operativen) — of or relating to operations, especially military operations
  • Catalan: operatiu — of or relating to operations, especially military operations
  • Finnish: operatiivinen — of or relating to operations, especially military operations
  • German: Einsatz- — of or relating to operations, especially military operations
  • German: Operations- — of or relating to operations, especially military operations
  • Greek: ετοιμοπόλεμος (etoimopólemos) — of or relating to operations, especially military operations
  • Greek: μάχιμος (máchimos) — of or relating to operations, especially military operations
  • Indonesian: operasional — of or relating to operations, especially military operations
  • Latin: operātiōnālis — of or relating to operations, especially military operations
  • Norwegian Bokmål: operasjonell — of or relating to operations, especially military operations
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: operasjonell — of or relating to operations, especially military operations
  • Persian: عملیاتی ('amaliyâti) — of or relating to operations, especially military operations
  • Romanian: operațional — of or relating to operations, especially military operations
  • Russian: операти́вный (operatívnyj) — of or relating to operations, especially military operations
  • Spanish: operacional — of or relating to operations, especially military operations
  • Bulgarian: работещ (rabotešt) — functioning and ready for use
  • Bulgarian: функциониращ (funkcionirašt) — functioning and ready for use
  • Catalan: operatiu — functioning and ready for use
  • Finnish: toimiva — functioning and ready for use
  • Finnish: toimintakuntoinen — functioning and ready for use
  • Finnish: toimintakykyinen — functioning and ready for use
  • German: betriebsbereit — functioning and ready for use
  • German: funktionsfähig — functioning and ready for use
  • German: einsatzfähig — functioning and ready for use
  • Greek: λειτουργικός (leitourgikós) — functioning and ready for use
  • Hindi: क्रियाशील (kriyāśīl) — functioning and ready for use
  • Hungarian: üzemképes — functioning and ready for use
  • Indonesian: operasional — functioning and ready for use
  • Latin: operābilis — functioning and ready for use
  • Norwegian Bokmål: operasjonell — functioning and ready for use
  • Norwegian Bokmål: operativ — functioning and ready for use
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: operasjonell — functioning and ready for use
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: operativ — functioning and ready for use
  • Polish: aktywny — functioning and ready for use
  • Russian: де́йствующий (déjstvujuščij) — functioning and ready for use
  • Spanish: operacional — functioning and ready for use
  • Spanish: operatorio — functioning and ready for use
  • Bulgarian: действащ (dejstvašt) — effective or operative
  • Catalan: operatiu — effective or operative
  • Finnish: toimiva — effective or operative
  • Gothic: 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍃𐍄𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌲𐍃 (waurstweigs) — effective or operative
  • Greek: λειτουργικός (leitourgikós) — effective or operative
  • Hindi: क्रियाशील (kriyāśīl) — effective or operative
  • Indonesian: operasional — effective or operative
  • Norwegian Bokmål: operasjonell — effective or operative
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: operasjonell — effective or operative
  • Russian: де́йствующий (déjstvujuščij) — effective or operative
  • Spanish: operacional — effective or operative
  • Spanish: operatorio — effective or operative
  • Catalan: operacional — determined by means of practical measures
  • Finnish: käytännöllinen — determined by means of practical measures
  • French: opérationnel — determined by means of practical measures
  • Italian: operazionale — determined by means of practical measures
  • Portuguese: operacional — determined by means of practical measures
  • Spanish: operacional — determined by means of practical measures
Real reading context

operational in complete knowledge articles