short circuit operator

noun

A logical operator that returns a value as soon as the outcome is certain, without necessarily testing all operands (for example, an OR operator returning true if the first operand evaluates as true, without evaluating the second operand).

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Meanings

nounshort circuit operator (plural short circuit operators)

plural short circuit operators · alternative short-circuit operator

  1. computingA logical operator that returns a value as soon as the outcome is certain, without necessarily testing all operands (for example, an OR operator returning true if the first operand evaluates as true, without evaluating the second operand).
Cite this entry
APA

short circuit operator. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/short%20circuit%20operator

MLA

“short circuit operator.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/short%20circuit%20operator. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “short circuit operator,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/short%20circuit%20operator.

Source: short circuit operator on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.