What does “operation” mean?
- 1
nounthe process of cutting into someone’s body to repair or remove something
She needs an operation on her knee.
- 2
nounan organized activity involving many people
The rescue operation lasted all night.
- 3
nounthe way a machine or system works
The new factory will be in operation next year.
Operation at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun
- CEFR level
- B1 (intermediate)
- Pronunciation
- /ˌɑpəˈreɪʃən/ · ah-puh-RAY-shun
How to use “operation” correctly
A patient “has” an operation; a surgeon “performs” or “does” it.
Common phrases with “operation”
- have an operation
- in operation
- military operation
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Word family
- operate
- operator
- operational
“operation” is on these word lists
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