ENGLISH
REFERENCE

operated

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈɑpɝˌeɪtəd// UK //ˈɒpəɹˌeɪtɪd// op·er·at·ed

v. to control or run a machine, a business, or a system. It can also mean to perform medical surgery on someone.

v. to control the functioning of a machine or system; to manage a business or process. In a medical context, it refers to performing a surgical procedure upon a patient.


SIMPLE

The machine is operated by a foot pedal.

CONTEXTUAL

The charity has operated several food banks in the city center for over a decade.

COMPLEX

The multinational corporation operated under a complex web of subsidiary agreements designed to minimize tax liabilities across several different jurisdictions.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

The verb is both transitive and intransitive. In medical contexts, it typically takes the preposition 'on' before the patient or body part.

Pitfall

The surgeon operated the patientThe surgeon operated on the patientWhen referring to medical surgery, the verb requires the preposition 'on' before the object.

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