real-time operation
- noun
- Specialized
- Software such as "Timbuktu" permits remote, real-time operation of the telescope as if the operator were on-site.
Examples
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Control room software is essential for the real-time operation of the electric grid.
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We make control room software to handle real-time operation of the electric grid.
Blog text (29) -
Museum activities include real-time operation of historic railroad equipment, including train rides, handcar rides, lectures, an annual railroad history symposium, changing exhibits, and a variety of special events.
Blog text (3) -
The team coordinated every real-time operation to ensure that data processing kept pace with incoming events.
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During the emergency, the system ensured the real-time operation of all critical services without any delays.
Synonyms
Working with data fast enough to keep up with another action without delay
How Immediate
Surface Forms
Morphology
real-time + operation
The meaning 'processing quickly enough to keep up with external events' is directly compositional from 'real-time' (occurring in actual/without delay) plus 'operation' (a process or functioning), so a learner who knows those words can infer the phrase. This adjective+noun pattern is common and has clear cross‑linguistic parallels, making the expression immediately comprehensible rather than idiomatic.
Etymology
The phrase real-time operation comes from the image of a clock or a live broadcast that shows things the moment they happen. Real-time means 'as things happen', and an operation running in real-time must process information instantly so it can keep up with events.