operation
/ˌɒpəˈreɪʃən/
noun
Origin
Latin
operatio — a working, performance
Overview
Meaning Now
- The action or process of functioning or being active.
- A surgical procedure performed on a body.
- A strategic or tactical process or action, typically involving military or industrial tasks.
Literal older meaning
a working, a performance, a toil
Language path
Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
operacioun
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term entered the English language during the 14th century via Anglo-Norman French, initially referring to religious or general physical work before expanding to denote mechanical processes and, by the 17th century, surgical procedures.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*op-
“to work, produce”
- Latin
operari
“to work, toil”
infinitive verb form
- Latin
operatio
“a performance, execution”
noun derived from operari
- Old French
operacion
“the action of doing something”
- Middle English
operacioun
“a process or working”
- Modern English
operation
“functioning, surgery, activity”
Connections
Word parts
oper-
root
work
-ation
suffix
state, process, or result of
Related across languages
French
opération
operation
Spanish
operación
operation
Explore next
Related to operation
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.