operational
adjective
op·er·a·tion·al
ˌä-pə-ˈrā-sh(ə-)nəl 
1
: of or relating to operation or to an operation
the operational gap between planning and production
2
: of, relating to, or based on operations
3
a
: of, engaged in, or connected with execution of military or naval operations in campaign or battle
b
: ready for or in condition to undertake a destined function
operationally
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of operational in a Sentence
The new airport should be fully operational by next year.
The computer network is now operational.
Recent Examples on the Web
But there's a push to focus on researching solar geoengineering as a possible way to address warming and understand the consequences before considering taking these methods full-scale and operational.
—
Stephanie Ebbs, ABC News, 26 Apr. 2024
Last summer, the city’s Multidisciplinary Public Safety Task Force began identifying businesses with a high number of 311 complaints or violent incidents to make safer, with the aim of keeping them operational.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2024
It was envisioned many years ago as a comprehensive financial management tool for all state agencies but is only partially operational.
—Dan Walters, Orange County Register, 26 Apr. 2024
The New School appears to still be operational, though the Facebook page for the school was last updated in December 2017, and less than 30 students currently attend the school, according to Gulick’s 2022 sentencing memorandum and US News and World Report.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2024
The spacecraft observed Saturn’s rings in detail and discovered active volcanoes on Jupiter’s moon Io.
Originally designed for a five-year mission within our solar system, both probes are still operational and chugging along through space, far beyond Pluto’s orbit.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2024
Yes, the technical and operational mastery of the U.S.-led coalition was stunning.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 19 Apr. 2024
Talks are still in the early stages, military officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters.
—Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Renting the equivalent cloud compute capacity of that would cost about 15 to 20 million dollars today, not to mention the storage and operational costs added on top.
—Victor Riparbelli, Fortune Europe, 17 Apr. 2024
Stephanie Ebbs, ABC News, 26 Apr. 2024
Last summer, the city’s Multidisciplinary Public Safety Task Force began identifying businesses with a high number of 311 complaints or violent incidents to make safer, with the aim of keeping them operational.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2024
It was envisioned many years ago as a comprehensive financial management tool for all state agencies but is only partially operational.
—Dan Walters, Orange County Register, 26 Apr. 2024
The New School appears to still be operational, though the Facebook page for the school was last updated in December 2017, and less than 30 students currently attend the school, according to Gulick’s 2022 sentencing memorandum and US News and World Report.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2024
The spacecraft observed Saturn’s rings in detail and discovered active volcanoes on Jupiter’s moon Io.
Originally designed for a five-year mission within our solar system, both probes are still operational and chugging along through space, far beyond Pluto’s orbit.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2024
Yes, the technical and operational mastery of the U.S.-led coalition was stunning.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 19 Apr. 2024
Talks are still in the early stages, military officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters.
—Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
Renting the equivalent cloud compute capacity of that would cost about 15 to 20 million dollars today, not to mention the storage and operational costs added on top.
—Victor Riparbelli, Fortune Europe, 17 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'operational.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near operational
Cite this Entry
“Operational.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/operational. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
operational
adjective
op·er·a·tion·al
ˌäp-ə-ˈrā-shnəl
-shən-ᵊl
1
: of or relating to operation or an operation
2
: ready for operation
Legal Definition
operational
adjective
op·er·a·tion·al
ˌä-pə-ˈrā-shə-nəl
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