Operating

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈɑpəɹeɪtɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The act of being active or in use
2. Performing its intended function or action at a particular time
3. Being actively engaged in work or service to achieve a purpose

Etymology: The verb "operate" comes from Latin "operātus," the past participle of "operor," meaning "to work, labor, toil, or have effect." That Latin verb grew from "opus," "work," the same root behind the English "opus" and "operation." The English verb keeps the Latin "-ate" ending, which in verbs of this kind marks an action carried out, so to operate something is literally to set its work in motion. The original sense was plainly about labour and effort, and the idea of a machine or system "working" came later as the word's meaning shifted toward mechanical and functional use. "Operating" carries that sense of something actively doing its job at a given moment. It is built directly on the same Latin stem, with the ordinary English "-ing" added to the verb, so the word's core idea of work has changed very little from Latin to English.

Synonyms: functioning, running, working, controlling, managing

Antonyms: dormant, inactive, nonfunctioning, disabled, unemployed