Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

operation

/ˌɒp.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/ noun

Latin root: operātiō Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about operation at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The state of being in effect or being operative.
that rule is no longer in operation
A business especially one run on a large scale.
a large-scale farming operation
A planned activity involving many people performing various actions.
they organized a rescue operation

Origin

From Middle English operacioun, from Old French operacion, from Latin operātiō, from the verb operor (“to work”), from opus, operis (“work”). Equivalent to operate + -ion.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word