OPS

What Does OPS Mean?

The Quick Answer

OPS means "Oops!," "Opposition," "Operations," "Other People's," and "On-Base Plus Slugging."

Oops!

Ops is often typed in place of the exclamation "Oops!" as an expression of surprise or dismay. It's a very casual term and is often used in a light-hearted or humorous context when someone makes a minor mistake or experiences a small accident. For example:

Sam: I've just sexted by mum by mistake.
Ali: Ops!

Opposition

Ops (or "opps") is used in street slang or by gang members as shorthand for "opposition" (or "opponents"). In this context, it's used to refer to rival gang members or enemies in general. For example:

Chris: You coming uptown tonight?
Lee: You serious? We can't go there alone. The place is gonna be crawling with ops.

The exact origins of this usage of ops are not well-documented. However, over time, it has been adopted and popularized in certain urban communities and through music, particularly in genres like hip-hop and rap, which often reflect and influence street culture.

Operations

When used in a gaming, business, military or police context, ops usually means "operations." The term features in the title of many games, including Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. For example:

Al: What are you doing at the weekend?
Jo: I've just got the latest version of Black Ops. I'm gonna binge all weekend!
Al: Have fun. I'll find someone else to chill with.

Check out our complete list of gaming terms.

Other People's

Ops is also often used with the meaning "Other People's." In this context, it usually refers to smokers who regularly beg cigarettes from other smokers, rather than buying their own. Such smokers are known for preferring to smoke "OPs." For example:

Terry: What's your favorite brand of smokes?
Mal: OPs. They're also the cheapest.

In 1972, American singer-songwriter Bob Seger released an album entitled Smokin' OP's, which was a compilation of songs mostly written by other artists:

On-Base Plus Slugging

In baseball, OPS stands for "On-base Plus Slugging." It's a statistic used to measure a baseball player's offensive performance. The formula for OPS is OPS = OBP + SLG:

OBP (On-Base Percentage): This measures how frequently a batter reaches base. It's calculated as (Hits + Walks + Hit by Pitch) / (At Bats + Walks + Hit by Pitch + Sacrifice Flies).
SLG (Slugging Percentage): This measures the power of a hitter. It's calculated as Total Bases / At Bats.

By combining these two figures, OPS gives a quick snapshot of a player's ability both to get on base and to hit for power. A higher score indicates a more effective offensive player. In general, an OPS over .800 is considered good, and an OPS over .900 is considered excellent.

Image for OPS

When I write Ops, I often mean this:

OPS also means "Operations," "Opposition," "Other People's," and "On-Base Plus Slugging."

Summary of Key Points for the First Definition

"Oops!" is a common definition for OPS on Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

OPS
Definition:	Oops!
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Summary of Key Points for the Second Definition

"Opposition" is another common definition for OPS, especially amongst gang members.

OPS
Definition:	Opposition
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Summary of Key Points for the Third Definition

"Operations" is another common definition for OPS, especially in police and military circles, as well as in gaming.

OPS
Definition:	Operations
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	3: Guessable
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Summary of Key Points for the Fourth Definition

OPS is also used with the meaning "Other People's."

OPS
Definition:	Other People's
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Summary of Key Points for the Fifth Definition

"On-Base Plus Slugging" is a common definition for OPS in baseball.

OPS
Definition:	On-Base Plus Slugging
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

An Academic Look at OPS

When used with the meanings "other people's," "opposition," and "operations," ops is a slang phrase and a contraction. Slang refers to words, phrases and uses of language that are regarded as very informal and which are often restricted to a special context or a particular group of users. A contraction is a shortened version of a word. They can be formed in a number of ways, including:

Omitting letters from the word (e.g., pct (percent), obv (obviously)).
Using letters from the start and end of the word (e.g., adds, Dr (Doctor)).
Using an apostrophe to replace a letter or letters (e.g., don't (do not), can't (cannot)).

When used with the meaning "Oops!," ops is an interjection. An interjection is included in a sentence to express a sentiment such as surprise, irritation, disgust, joy, excitement, or enthusiasm.