operative

[op-er-uh-tiv, op-ruh-tiv, op-uh-rey-tiv]

noun

1. a person engaged, employed, or skilled in some branch of work, especially productive or industrial work; worker.

   Synonyms: workman

2. a detective.

   Synonyms: agent, investigator

3. a secret agent; spy.

adjective

1. operating, operating, or exerting force, power, or influence.

2. having force; being in effect or operation.

   laws operative in this city.

3. effective or efficacious.

   Synonyms: serviceable, effectual

4. engaged in, concerned with, or pertaining to work or productive activity.

5. significant; key.

   The operative word in that sentence is “sometimes.”

6. Medicine/Medical.,  concerned with, involving, or pertaining to surgical operations.

operative

/ ˈɒpərətɪv /

adjective

1. in force, effect, or operation

2. exerting force or influence

3. producing a desired effect; significant

   the operative word

4. of or relating to a surgical procedure

noun

1. a worker, esp one with a special skill

2. a private detective

Other Word Forms

• operatively adverb
• operativeness noun
• operativity noun
• interoperative noun
• nonoperative adjective
• unoperative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of operative¹

1590–1600; < Middle French operatif < Latin operāt ( us ) ( operate ) + Middle French -if -ive

Example Sentences

Special Forces operatives have worked with American videogame company Activision Blizzard as advisers on its phenomenally successful Call of Duty first-person shooter franchise, while the U.S. military has used such games to boost recruitment.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But the court heard that Farouk was an undercover operative and through their communication with him the police were able to stop their plans.

Read more on BBC

Even his inner circle has been intimidated by his strategy of entrusting command of the army to his closest associates and giving Israeli operatives the job of training elite troops and his personal security detail.

Read more on Barron's

Many were directly hit by air strikes which the Israeli military said targeted operatives of Hamas and other armed groups.

Read more on BBC

For the last few years operatives from hacking teams like Lazarus Group have focussed on attacking cryptocurrency companies for large thefts of digital tokens.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• operational 
• usable 

When To Use

What does operative mean?

An operative is a person who is employed in or is skilled in a certain branch of work.Operative is generally used to mean a worker, but in some industries, an operative is specifically a representative or a manager.In the fields of espionage and tactics, an operative is almost always a spy or agent working secretly for an organization.Operative also means detective when used in reference to the police force or private investigation teams.As an adjective, operative often means exerting power or influence. Something that is operative is binding or in effect, such as operative laws or an operative organization that establishes rules.In medicine, operative describes something related to a surgical operation. Operative pain, for example, is pain that occurs from having an operation.Example: A public relations operative informed us that there is an emerging crisis.