Word
operational
Phoneticsop·er·a·tional
US/ˌɑpɝˈeɪʃənəɫ/
UK/ˌɒpəɹˈeɪʃənəl/
Definitions
01working and ready
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. working correctly and ready to be used.
adj. functioning and ready for immediate use; in a state of practical readiness.
“The new hospital wing will be fully operational by the end of the month.”
“Engineers worked through the night to ensure the power grid was fully operational before the morning commute began.”
Synonyms
02relating to business activities
C1 · Advanced Academic
adj. relating to the daily activities or costs of running a business or organisation.
adj. pertaining to the routine activities, processes, or costs involved in running an organisation.
“The company is looking for ways to reduce its daily operational costs.”
“The board focused on long-term strategy, leaving the day-to-day operational decisions to the local branch managers.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03military actions
C1 · Advanced Formal
adj. relating to planned military actions or missions.
adj. relating to the planning and execution of specific military operations.
“The general refused to comment on current operational details for security reasons.”
“The mission was aborted due to a significant breach in operational security that compromised the safety of the ground team.”
04measurable
C2 · Proficiency Science Academic · Technical
adj. defined by how something is measured or used in practice.
adj. defined in terms of the specific actions or operations used to measure or identify it.
“The researchers needed an operational definition of 'happiness' for their study.”
“Before the experiment could proceed, the team had to establish an operational framework for measuring cognitive load under stress.”
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “operational” in context.
Adjective
01. operational level
“Decisions made at the operational level ensure that the factory's daily production targets are met.”
adj + noun
02. operational control
03. operational tempo
Real-World Examples
“Ullman told Al Jazeera that ships require onshore care to keep advanced technology operational over long periods.” “He said utilities, insurance, technical equipment, transport and other operational costs had risen for the venue - but housing had seen the most dramatic change.” “It had faced "sustained trading and operational challenges" recently and Frasers Group said it will need to conduct a review of the store's portfolio, structure and cost base.” Etymology
From operation + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/operational