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Operative
//ˈɒpəɹətɪv// adj, noun
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Effectual or important.
"He's usually in a good mood — the operative word there being "usually". Today was a disaster."
- 2 Functional, in working order.
- 3 Having the power of acting; hence, exerting force, physical or moral; active in the production of effects.
"an operative motive"
- 4 Producing the appropriate or designed effect; efficacious.
"an operative dose, rule, or penalty"
- 5 Based upon, or consisting of, a surgical operation or operations.
"operative surgery"
Adjective
- 1 being in force or having or exerting force wordnet
- 2 (of e.g. a machine) performing or capable of performing wordnet
- 3 relating to or requiring or amenable to treatment by surgery especially as opposed to medicine wordnet
- 4 effective; producing a desired effect wordnet
Noun
- 1 An employee or other worker with some particular function or skill.
"Practically 50 per cent of the female operatives are found in the two groups aged 15 to 19 and 20 to 24 years, while only 18.2 per cent of the female nonoperatives are found in these age groups."
- 2 someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information and assist in criminal investigations wordnet
- 3 A spy, secret agent, or detective.
- 4 a person secretly employed in espionage for a government wordnet
- 5 A participant in an operation.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English operative, operatyfe, from Middle French operatif (modern French opératif) or its etymon Latin operātīvus. By surface analysis, operate + -ive.
Etymology 2
From Middle English operative, operatyfe, from Middle French operatif (modern French opératif) or its etymon Latin operātīvus. By surface analysis, operate + -ive.
See also for "operative"
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Unscramble this word: operative