non-operational

IPA/ˌnɒn.ɒp.ərˈeɪ.ʃən.əl/
IPA/ˌnɑːn.ɑː.pəˈreɪ.ʃən.əl/

non-operational — adjective

1. describes a machine, system, or facility that is currently out of service — brok

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a machine, system, or facility that is currently out of service — broken down, switched off, or otherwise unable to perform its normal function.

Example

The hospital's main elevator has been non-operational since Tuesday after a power surge.

attributive: non-operational + noun (machine/facility)

Imran reported that the security cameras outside the warehouse were non-operational all weekend.

predicative: be + non-operational

Common collocations
  • temporarily non-operational
  • currently non-operational
  • remained non-operational
Synonyms
  • out of service

    very close in meaning; slightly less formal and often used on signs

  • inoperative

    even more formal, common in technical or legal writing

  • broken down

    informal; suggests a sudden mechanical failure

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

non-operational + noun

be + non-operational

Usage Note

Frequently used about institutional or public equipment (lifts, cameras, lights, machines, systems) rather than small household items — for a kettle or a phone, native speakers prefer 'broken' or 'not working'.

Common Mistakes

My pen is non-operational.
My pen is not working.
'non-operational' sounds odd for small everyday objects; reserve it for equipment, machines, or facilities.

2. in business and accounting, describes income, costs, or assets that are not conn

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

in business and accounting, describes income, costs, or assets that are not connected with what a company mainly does to earn money — for example, profit from selling a building rather than from selling its products.

Example

The bakery chain reported strong non-operational income last quarter after selling its old delivery vans.

collocation: non-operational income

Analysts asked the airline to separate its non-operational expenses from regular fuel and crew costs.

collocation: non-operational expenses, contrasted with core costs

Common collocations
  • non-operational income
  • non-operational expenses
  • non-operational assets
  • non-operational losses
Synonyms
  • non-core

    covers any activity outside the company's main business, not only finance items

  • extraordinary

    in accounting, refers specifically to one-off items outside normal operations

Antonyms
  • operational

    connected with the main, day-to-day business activity

  • core

    central to what the company normally does

Grammar Patterns

non-operational + noun (cost/income/asset)

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: here the word is purely a business-accounting label, never a comment on whether equipment works. Always attributive with finance nouns (income, expenses, assets, losses).

Common Mistakes

The company's profit was non-operational this quarter.
The company's non-operational profit was higher this quarter.
used as a label on the noun, not as a predicate describing the company's overall performance.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four describe equipment that is not currently doing its job, but they differ in register and scene. 'Non-operational' is formal and institutional — you read it in maintenance notices, airport announcements, or company reports about hospital lifts, runway lights, or surveillance systems. 'Inoperative' is even more formal and is common in technical manuals and legal documents (e.g., 'the warranty is inoperative'). 'Out of service' is the everyday public-sign version posted next to broken ATMs, vending machines, or lifts. 'Broken down' is the most informal and adds the idea of sudden mechanical failure — typically used of cars, washing machines, or photocopiers that have stopped working all at once. For example, a maintenance team might note that 'the cooling system is non-operational', a manager might tell customers 'the lift is out of service', and a driver might complain that 'my car broke down on the motorway'.

non-operational ↗inoperative ↗out of service ↗broken down

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • remained non-operational
  • deemed non-operational
  • rendered non-operational

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed in English in the early twentieth century by adding the prefix 'non-' (Latin, meaning 'not') to 'operational', which itself came from 'operation' (from Latin 'operatio', meaning 'a working' or 'an activity'). The word spread through military and engineering reports during the Second World War, when describing whether aircraft, radar, or weapons were ready for use was a routine matter. The financial sense developed later, alongside the modern accounting habit of separating a company's core trading results from one-off or unrelated gains and losses.