What does "operative" mean?
An employee or other worker with some particular function or skill.
Operative
/ˈɒpəɹətɪv/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An employee or other worker with some particular function or skill.
- Grammar: operative is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: secret agent, accessible, active, actor.
- Useful contrasts: abeyant, inoperative, nonoperative treatment.
- Usage evidence: An undercover operative infiltrated the organization.
How to use "operative"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "operative" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "operative" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "operative" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "operative" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "operative" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "secret agent" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "operative", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
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.
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
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"An undercover operative infiltrated the organization."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "operative"?
Common synonyms include: secret agent, accessible, active, actor, agent, agent.
How do you use "operative" in a sentence?
An undercover operative infiltrated the organization.
How do you pronounce "operative"?
Pronounced /ˈɒpəɹətɪv/.
Etymology
From Middle English operative, operatyfe, from Middle French operatif (modern French opératif) or its etymon Latin operātīvus. By surface analysis, operate + -ive.