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Glite Dictionary
🏢 To run a business ⚙️ To make work 🎖️ To carry out maneuvers 🩺 To do surgery
to operate

to operate

189 6.5
To move military forces in a planned way to gain an advantage in battle
  • verb
  • /ˈɑːpəreɪt/
  • Jargon
translation icon : operar
  • The CIA can't operate on US soil.
  • forces operate
  • military forces operate
  • operate from bases

The terrorist movements have seen this and operate, have changed their operations because of it.

Examples

  • The Republic of Korea does not operate a special and independent admiralty court as of today.

    Academic text (2017)

  • For now, groups such as the EPR appear to operate primarily in small cells.

    Academic text (1999)

  • I expect that U.S. special operations forces will operate in Afghanistan for some time.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Is there a terrorist cell operating in Brooklyn?

    The Siege (1998)

  • In Bahrain, the U.S. Marine Corps operates and staffs an AN/TPS-59 surveillance radar.

    Academic text (2015)

  • In Bahrain, the U.S. Marine Corps operates and staffs an AN/TPS-59 surveillance radar installation.

    Academic text (2015)

  • Solo practitioner Stephanie Kimbro has operated a virtual law firm out of Wilmington, N.C., for five years.

    Academic text (2011)

  • The soldiers were trained to operate their equipment effectively during combat missions.

  • To gain an advantage, the military planned to operate at night when visibility for the enemy was low.

  • The tactical team was deployed to operate in the hostile territory while seeking to minimize casualties.

Synonyms

to maneuver
vsto operate
  • US
65 5.8

To move a vehicle, thing, or group skillfully to a new position

is specific to armed forces executing tactical moves in attack or defense
to manoeuver
vsto operate
5.8

To move something or someone carefully to get a better position

has identical meaning but differs in British orthography

Idioms

to operate on Tongan time
  • Slur
9.9

To follow a relaxed plan and arrive late without worry

Phrasal Verbs

to operate on
  • Specialized
47 4.6

To cut and repair a part of a person or animal in surgery

to operate on
  • Specialized
21 3.8

To use a program or method to change data

How Aggressive

to attack
∞ 1.3
to engage
316 6.1
to operate
  • Jargon
189 6.5
maneuver
  • US
108 6.3

Surface Forms

operate infinitive
operated past
operated past participle
operating present participle
operates third person singular

Morphology

operate = oper + ate

Formally built from the bound root 'oper-' + the verb-forming suffix '-ate', but the root is not a standalone English word and the military sense is a specialized extension of 'work/act', so learners may not reliably infer this sense from components.

Etymology

Operate comes from an old Latin root meaning 'to work' or 'do', and it shares the same root as operation, which often means a planned action. That's why in the military an 'operation' is a planned move and to 'operate' is to carry it out.