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Glite Dictionary
to operationalize

to operationalize

2 7.7
To make an idea ready to use by showing how to measure it
  • verb
  • /ˌɒpəˈreɪʃənəlaɪz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : operacionalizar
  • In order to achieve their goals, they needed to operationalize the project by setting clear milestones.
  • operationalize the construct
  • operationalize the concept
  • operationalize indicators

Be consistent and then operationalize what you're doing.

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Examples

  • Perhaps the idea strikes clinicians as simply too difficult to operationalize in practical programs.

    Academic text (1990)

  • Ms. Jamison heightened students' participation by operationalizing her belief that all students can learn.

    Academic text (2013)

  • And competition is the way we operationalize that, having out groups, being able to say there were other people kind of around.

  • But even more problematic, we have not really and may never be able to operationalize what we're trying to understand.

  • Ideally, additional questions would have been used to help operationalize the outcomes of interest.

    Academic text (2013)

  • We draw upon the literature to operationalize direct instruction and strategy instruction approaches.

    Academic text (1999)

  • The results also confirm the important role that assessment can play in operationalizing spiritual strengths among Native clients.

    Academic text (2011)

  • In this approach, present strengths are identified and operationalized to ameliorate problems.

    Academic text (2008)

  • In close to three decades of work and analysis, the HIV/AIDS news agenda has been operationalized in various ways.

    Academic text (2013)

  • Defining developmental disability conceptually is challenging, and operationalizing developmental disability can create confusion in practice.

    Academic text (2011)

Synonyms

to implement
vsto operationalize
515 3.7

To put a plan or rule into action

focuses on defining measures and making ideas ready before action
to actualize
vsto operationalize
  • US
8 7.1

Make an idea or plan become real

focuses on creating usable, actionable versions rather than mere existence
to concretize
vsto operationalize
  • US
1 7.9

To make an idea or plan clear and specific

turns specific ideas into practical measurable steps for action
to substantialize
vsto operationalize
9.0

To make an idea or plan become real and physical

aims at making concepts practical and measurable for use rather than physical form

How Practical

to embed
88 4.8
to implement
515 3.7
to operationalize
  • Specialized
2 7.7
plan
∞ 1.0
to propose
∞ 3.0

Surface Forms

operationalize infinitive
operationalized past
operationalized past participle
operationalizing present participle
operationalizes third person singular

Morphology

operationalize = operational (transparent) = operational + ize

Formed by adding the productive verb-forming suffix '-ize' to the adjective 'operational', yielding the predictable meaning 'make operational'.

Etymology

Operationalize comes from the familiar words operate and operation, which mean 'to work' or 'to do', plus the ending -ize meaning 'to make'. So, to operationalize is to 'make work' an idea — to turn it into something practical and ready to use.