The disclosure relates to a communication technique that converges a 5th generation (5G) or pre-5G communication system to support a higher data rate after a 4th generation (4G) communication system such as long-term evolution (LTE) with IoT technology, and a system thereof. The disclosure may be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart building, smart city, smart or connected car, healthcare, digital education, retail, security and safety related services, etc.) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology. According to various embodiments of the disclosure, a method and apparatus for operating a dormant cell in a wireless communication system may be provided.