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
As the industry continues to evolve, collaboration between insurers, technology providers and food delivery companies will be key to developing sustainable solutions that balance risk management with operational efficiency.
—
Brian Moroney, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
China held more than 500 operational nuclear warheads as of 2023 and will probably have over 1,000 warheads by 2030, the Pentagon said in its annual report on Beijing’s military last year.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 25 Sep. 2024
To lower operational energy, The Nueva School’s SEC is built with an open corridor, mitigating the carbon costs of enclosing the space while also bridging classrooms with the outdoors.
—Maya Chawla, Architectural Digest, 25 Sep. 2024
Ensuring that these agents learn efficiently and correctly while maintaining operational stability is a significant hurdle.
—Michele Zanello, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for operational 
Brian Moroney, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
China held more than 500 operational nuclear warheads as of 2023 and will probably have over 1,000 warheads by 2030, the Pentagon said in its annual report on Beijing’s military last year.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 25 Sep. 2024
To lower operational energy, The Nueva School’s SEC is built with an open corridor, mitigating the carbon costs of enclosing the space while also bridging classrooms with the outdoors.
—Maya Chawla, Architectural Digest, 25 Sep. 2024
Ensuring that these agents learn efficiently and correctly while maintaining operational stability is a significant hurdle.
—Michele Zanello, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for operational
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 1 Oct. 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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