operationalize

[ op-uh-rey-shuh-nl-ahyz ]

verb (used with object)

1. to put into operation, action, or use; implement:

   It’s our VP’s task to effectively operationalize the company’s vision.

   Unfortunately, relations between the two superpowers have never been strong enough to operationalize the northern route through Central Asia.

Other Words From

• op·er·a·tion·al·i·za·tion [op-, uh, -rey-sh, uh, -nl-ahy-, zey, -sh, uh, n] especially British, op·er·a·tion·al·i·sa·tion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of operationalize¹

First recorded in 1950–55; operational ( def ) + -ize ( def )

Example Sentences

“We have no comment on this confidential independent review, other than to note that the County’s next step following today’s public presentation will be to fully analyze and operationalize Covington’s recommendations,” the county said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times

“If others are not going to devote funding to operationalize or weaponize the conservative vision, then the 85 Fund needs to weigh its support much more heavily in that direction.”

From Slate

In the letter, he expressed a desire to "identify, recruit, educate, and elevate a new generation of leaders" who can wield influence in "the courtroom, the Hollywood box-office, or the corporate C-Suite of the Fortune 500" and "operationalize the conservative movement’s objectives, shaping decisions and blocking threats at the highest levels of influence."

From Salon

Awa also acknowledged that the human motivation to write elaborate answers may not have been high, and said there are additional questions about "how do you operationalize creativity? Can we really say that using these tests for humans is generalizable to different people? Is it assessing a broad array of creative thinking? So I think it has us critically examining what are the most popular measures of divergent thinking."

From Science Daily

Definitions matter: how do you operationalize the concept of "polarization".

From Salon