The meaning of OPERATION is performance of a practical work or of something involving the practical application of principles or processes. How to use operation in a sentence.

OPERATION meaning: 1. the fact of operating or being active: 2. the way that parts of a machine or system work…. Learn more.

1. an act or instance, process, or manner of functioning or operating.

OPERATION meaning: 1 : a process in which a doctor cuts into someone's body in order to repair or remove a damaged or diseased part; 2 : a usually small business or organization

Dec 17, 2025 · operation (countable and uncountable, plural operations) (uncountable) The method by which a device performs its function.

a process of a practical or mechanical nature in some form of work or production: a delicate operation in watchmaking. a course or procedure of productive or industrial activity: building …

There are 18 meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun operation, four of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

• He began to write down the questions he needed answered in order to put his plan into operation. • The engine is started on petrol, with just enough suction to bring the gasifier into …

An operation must not be confounded with the process by which the operation is effected. Thus, there is but one operation of extracting the cube root of a number, but there are several …

A military operation (op) is the coordinated military actions of a state, or a non-state actor, in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve …