operate

A2 Topic:Cause, Change & Process

US /ˈɑpəɹeɪt/ UK /ˈɒpəɹeɪt/ See IPA manual

verb Freq #4202

Meanings

1

verb
To control or make a machine, device, or system work.

Do not operate machinery after drinking alcohol.
2

verb
To run a business or service, or to function in a particular way.

The company operates in over thirty countries.
3

verb
To perform surgery on someone.

The surgeon had to operate on her heart.
4

verb
To have an effect or produce a result.

These rules operate to protect young workers.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to control or make a... control

3 verb · to perform surgery on someone. operate on

Word family

Forms operatedoperatesoperating

Derived forms battery-operatedcoin-operatedinter-operateinteroperatemisoperateoperatableoperateeoveroperatepower-operatedreoperateteleoperateunderoperate

Related forms co-operate cooperate opera operable operand operant operation operational operative operator opus

Common collocations

Etymology

From Latin operātus, perfect passive participle of operor (“to work, labor, toil, have effect”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

*h₃ep- Proto-Indo-European operātus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Cause, Change & Process Actions & Processes

# operate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** ˈɑpəɹeɪt
**IPA (UK):** ˈɒpəɹeɪt
**Frequency rank:** 4202

## Meanings
1. To control or make a machine, device, or system work.
2. To run a business or service, or to function in a particular way.
3. To perform surgery on someone.
4. To have an effect or produce a result.

## Examples
- Do not operate machinery after drinking alcohol.
- The company operates in over thirty countries.
- The surgeon had to operate on her heart.
- These rules operate to protect young workers.

## Derived Forms
- battery-operated
- coin-operated
- inter-operate
- interoperate
- misoperate
- operatable
- operatee
- overoperate
- power-operated
- reoperate
- teleoperate
- underoperate

## Related Forms
- co-operate
- cooperate
- opera
- operable
- operand
- operant
- operation
- operational
- operative
- operator
- opus

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₃ep-
- Root: operātus
- Affix: -ate - to make

## Etymology
From Latin operātus, perfect passive participle of operor (“to work, labor, toil, have effect”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

## AI Etymology
Operate comes from Latin operātus, perfect passive participle of operor (“to work, labor, toil, have effect”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- and Latin operātus. Modern senses include to control or make a machine, device, or system work and to run a business or service, or to function in a particular way. The wider word family includes derivatives such as battery-operated, coin-operated, inter-operate, interoperate, misoperate, and operatable and related forms such as co-operate, cooperate, opera, and operable.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process
- Actions & Processes

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operate

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