Operation

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌɒp.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/

Definitions

1. A planned activity or series of actions carried out to achieve a specific purpose or result
2. A methodical process executed to reach a defined goal or result involves several interrelated actions and can pertain to various fields such as medicine, military, or business
3. An organized set of actions designed to accomplish a particular aim ; a surgical procedure to treat or repair bodily conditions ; a calculation or process following specific rules; a coordinated maneuver conducted by armed forces

Etymology: The noun "operation" traces back to a simple idea: work. The Latin "opus," meaning "work," gave rise to the verb "operari," "to work," and from that came "operātiō," a noun for the act of working or carrying something out. That Latin noun passed into Old French as "operacion" and reached English in the Middle Ages as "operacioun," so the word has always carried the sense of labour being done. The modern sense of a planned set of actions grew naturally from that root. A "military operation" or a surgical "operation" is simply work organised toward a goal, with the steps laid out in order. The Latin "opus" also survives in English words like "opus" itself and "opera," which are its more direct descendants.

Synonyms: procedure, action, activity, process, function

Antonyms: inactivity, disruption, interruption, stoppage, halt