operative
a person engaged, employed, or skilled in some branch of work, especially productive or industrial work; worker.
a detective.
a secret agent; spy.
effective or efficacious.
engaged in, concerned with, or pertaining to work or productive activity.
significant; key: The operative word in that sentence is “sometimes.”
Medicine/Medical. concerned with, involving, or pertaining to surgical operations.
Origin of operative
1Other words for operative
1 | workman, factory hand |
2 | investigator, agent |
6 | effectual, serviceable |
Other words from operative
- op·er·a·tive·ly, adverb
- op·er·a·tive·ness, op·er·a·tiv·i·ty [op-er-uh-tiv-i-tee], /ˌɒp ər əˈtɪv ɪ ti/, noun
- in·ter·op·er·a·tive, noun, adjective
- non·op·er·a·tive, adjective
- un·op·er·a·tive, adjective
Words Nearby operative
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use operative in a sentence
That means Kremlin operatives have the green light to pursue some of those goals — like knocking off a political rival — while officially keeping Putin out the loop.
Top chemical weapons watchdog group confirms Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent | Alex Ward | October 7, 2020 | VoxThe lead lobbyist for the Canadian company was David Urban, a Republican political operative credited with delivering the traditionally Democratic state of Pennsylvania to the president in the 2016 election.
It’s His Land. Now a Canadian Company Gets to Take It. | by Lee van der Voo for ProPublica | October 1, 2020 | ProPublicaGOP operatives said they are hoping for a leveling of the field once early in-person voting kicks in widely and then on Election Day.
Early surge of Democratic mail voting sparks worry inside GOP | Amy Gardner, Josh Dawsey | September 29, 2020 | Washington PostThey painted us as cartel operatives, as benefiting from illegal activity and called me a human trafficker, to deliberately advance their fundraising goals.
Private Border Wall Fundraisers Have Been Arrested on Fraud Charges | by Perla Trevizo, Jeremy Schwartz and Lexi Churchill | August 20, 2020 | ProPublicaHis best option is probably to use his intelligence service, which is very close to the intelligence service in Belarus, which still calls itself the KGB, and is probably totally penetrated by Putin’s intelligence operatives.
“It seems to me that the operative questions are political and strategic, not legal,” said the former administration official.
“That was a good sign,” said one operative helping to lay the groundwork for a Hillary run.
Make way not for ducklings but for relentless darkness: so the operative mantra goes.
However, one prominent Iowa Democratic operative was left shaking his head at the mailer.
On the fashion shoot beforehand, he was puppyish energy and charm—no diva-ishness, just fast, funny, and co-operative.
The conception of the relation of this institution with them as co-operative makes headway slowly.
Readings in Money and Banking | Chester Arthur PhillipsThis system, as already stated, became operative in most districts during June, 1915.
Readings in Money and Banking | Chester Arthur PhillipsStill another kind of war credit bank was created on the co-operative plan to assist the middle and lower classes.
Readings in Money and Banking | Chester Arthur PhillipsDemocracy, let us grant it, is the best system of government as yet operative in this world of sin.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen LeacockAnd I have had a unique opportunity of watching the effect of some co-operative effort in Champaran.
Third class in Indian railways | Mahatma Gandhi
British Dictionary definitions for operative
/ (ˈɒpərətɪv) /
in force, effect, or operation
exerting force or influence
producing a desired effect; significant: the operative word
of or relating to a surgical procedure
a worker, esp one with a special skill
US a private detective
Derived forms of operative
- operatively, adverb
- operativeness or operativity, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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