special military operation
- noun
- Formal
:
operación militar especial
- The government announced a special military operation to target specific militant groups in the region.
Examples
-
The special military operation was shrouded in secrecy to ensure the safety of the troops involved.
-
During the briefing, the general outlined the objectives of the special military operation they were undertaking.
-
I would like to say that special military operation is being conducted strictly in accordance to the plan and schedule.
Synonyms
105
3.7
An action by soldiers that involves fighting
56
3.7
A planned action by armed forces to achieve a goal
23
5.7
A secret action by a government or army to avoid being noticed
9
4.0
A task given to a group of soldiers to reach a clear goal
3
5.8
A secret operation by soldiers or spies to gather information and carry out dangerous tasks
3
7.7
A secret activity planned and done to stay hidden, often by spies or soldiers
1
7.0
A carefully planned military action to reach long-term goals
Antonyms
How Large
476
4.3
11
7.7
159
7.4
- Formal
811
3.2
373
4.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
special + military + operation
The phrase is a straightforward composition of 'special' (particular/unusual) + 'military' (relating to armed forces) + 'operation' (a planned action), so a B1 learner who knows the parts can infer it means a specific or notable planned military action. While political or euphemistic connotations may require context, the core referential meaning is directly derivable and mirrors similar constructions in many languages.
Etymology
Special military operation comes from official language about planned missions: special means focused, military means armed forces, and operation is a planned action. So the phrase is often used to name an official, sometimes secret, military intervention instead of calling it a 'war'.