DROP_OPERATOR(7pg17)

💅 DROP_OPERATOR 💅

okay bestie so you've got an operator in your database and it's giving clutter, and you need it GONE. That's this page — DROP OPERATOR from the PostgreSQL 17.11 docs. Buckle up, it's a short one but we're gonna make it iconic ✨

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✨ NAME ✨

DROP_OPERATOR — remove an operator 🗑️💖

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🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

DROP OPERATOR [ IF EXISTS ] name ( { left_type | NONE } , right_type ) [, ...] [ CASCADE | RESTRICT ]

like literally just look at that. so much power in one line 🫶

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

DROP OPERATOR drops an existing operator from the database system. yep. that's the whole vibe. ✨

but hear me — to execute this command you must be the owner of the operator. no exceptions, no "but bestie 🥺". if it's not yours, it's not yours. periodt. 👑

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🦋 PARAMETERS 🦋

• IF EXISTS — do not throw an error if the operator doesn't exist. instead it just issues a notice, so your script doesn't blow up over a ghost operator 👻 highkey a lifesaver.
• name — the name of an existing operator, optionally schema-qualified. iykyk 💅
• left_type — the data type of the operator's left operand. and if the operator has no left operand? write NONE. yes, literally the word NONE. she's self-explanatory like that 💁‍♀️
• right_type — the data type of the operator's right operand. no NONE option here, it's right operand main character energy only 🌟
• CASCADE — automatically drop objects that depend on the operator (think views using it), and then in turn all objects that depend on those objects. it's giving domino effect. see Section 5.15 for the full lore 😭🔥
• RESTRICT — refuse to drop the operator if any objects depend on it. and heads up: this is the default. so if you don't say anything, she's cautious 🛑💀

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🍓 EXAMPLES 🍓

remove the power operator a^b for type integer:

DROP OPERATOR ^ (integer, integer);

remove the bitwise-complement prefix operator ~b for type bit:

DROP OPERATOR ~ (none, bit);

and the flex — remove multiple operators in ONE command:

DROP OPERATOR ~ (none, bit), ^ (integer, integer);

not me doing two drops in a single line 😭 ate and left no crumbs 🧚‍♀️

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💜 COMPATIBILITY 💜

sobbing. there is no DROP OPERATOR statement in the SQL standard. this is a PostgreSQL original, bestie 🌈⭐

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🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

• CREATE OPERATOR (CREATE_OPERATOR(7))
• ALTER OPERATOR (ALTER_OPERATOR(7))

go read those too, they're the siblings of this page fr fr 💖

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ngl the whole takeaway here is: check who owns the operator, remember RESTRICT is the default so nothing catastrophic happens by accident, and only reach for CASCADE when you actually mean it 💀

okay that's the page!! go forth and drop responsibly, bestie 🫶✨🎀

— written with love from the PostgreSQL 17.11 documentation, dated 2026 💅👑