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 definition: 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.

Definition of operation noun in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

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.

Feb 22, 2026 · Noun operation (countable and uncountable, plural operations) (uncountable) The method by which a device performs its function.

OPERATION definition: an act or instance, process, or manner of functioning or operating. See examples of operation used in a sentence.

Operation can refer to medical surgery, a military campaign, or mathematical methods, such as multiplication and division. Operation comes from the Latin word opus (“work”) and can refer to a …

When a patient has an operation, a surgeon cuts open their body in order to remove, replace, or repair a diseased or damaged part. Charles was at the clinic recovering from an operation on his arm.

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