operationalize
|op-er-a-tion-al-ize|
🇺🇸
/ˌɑpəˈreɪʃənəˌlaɪz/
🇬🇧
/ˌɒpəˈreɪʃ(ə)nəlaɪz/
make operational; define measurable terms
Etymology
'operationalize' originates from English, formed from the adjective 'operational' plus the verb-forming suffix '-ize', where 'operational' is derived from 'operation' (Latin 'operatio') meaning 'a working' and '-ize' meant 'to make or to cause to be'.
'operationalize' changed from the adjective 'operational' (which came from the noun 'operation', from Latin 'operatio') and eventually became the modern verb 'operationalize' through the addition of the productive English suffix '-ize' in recent English usage, especially in 20th-century academic contexts.
Initially it meant 'to make operational' (to make functional), but over time it evolved to include the specialized sense 'to define abstract concepts in measurable terms', particularly in scientific and social-science discourse.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to make operational; to put into operation or effect (to make something functional or usable).
The company plans to operationalize the new system next quarter.
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Verb 2
to define (a concept or variable) in terms of specific, measurable operations or procedures (often used in research and policy contexts).
In the study, the researchers operationalize 'social support' by measuring the number of weekly social interactions.
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Last updated: 2026/01/09 01:14