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 of operational

• operating
• operative
• functioning

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

Further information on the international leadership team is not yet available, as the transaction is set to close on Tuesday and operational fallout will continue well into the months ahead. — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026

Funding movements, staffing gaps, regulatory pressure, leadership changes, operational strain and ecosystem behavior often reveal that an organization is becoming increasingly ready to act. — Adam Feiner, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Modern stealth fighters depend on ground-level operational support to maintain peak combat readiness. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026

Perrette also has experience with the blocking and tackling of things like password sharing and other lucrative but detail-oriented operational tasks. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

operation + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing operational

• pre-operational

Rhymes for operational

• aspirational
• avocational
• calculational
• combinational
• computational
• conformational
• confrontational
• congregational
• conversational
• correlational
• deformational
• derivational

Kids 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 

: ministerial