operative
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operative
- /ˈɒpəɹətɪv/ UK
- /ˈɒpɹətɪv/ UK, colloquial
- /ˈɑpəɹətɪv/ US, dialectal
- /ˈɑpɹətɪv/ US, dialectal, colloquial
- /ˈɒpəɹətɪv/ Canada, dialectal
- /ˈɒpɹətɪv/ Canada, dialectal, colloquial
Where it comes from
From Middle English operative, operatyfe, from Middle French operatif (modern French opératif) or its etymon Latin operātīvus. By surface analysis, operate + -ive.
adjective more operative · most operative
- Effectual or important. He's usually in a good mood — the operative word there being "usually". Today was a disaster.
- Functional, in working order.
- Having the power of acting; hence, exerting force, physical or moral; active in the production of effects. an operative motive
- Producing the appropriate or designed effect; efficacious. an operative dose, rule, or penalty
- Based upon, or consisting of, a surgical operation or operations. operative surgery
noun operatives
- 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.
- A spy, secret agent, or detective.
- A participant in an operation.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: operant, in effect, operating, operational, functioning, working, functional, effective, significant, important, good, secret agent, private investigator, private detective, private eye, running
Translations
Every language
adj effectual
| Español | operatorio, operativo |
|---|---|
| Français | opératif |
| Italiano | operativo |
| Русский | де́йственный déjstvennyj, эффекти́вный effektívnyj |
adj functional
| Español | operatorio, operativo |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | सक्रिय sakriya |
| Français | opératif |
| Italiano | operativo |
| Русский | де́йствующий déjstvujuščij, рабо́тающий rabótajuščij, рабо́чий rabóčij |
adj based upon a surgical operation
| Español | operatorio |
|---|---|
| Português | operatório |
| Français | opératoire |
| Italiano | operatorio |
Talk about this word "operative." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/operative. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. operative. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/operative "operative." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/operative.Cite this
@misc{operative_2026,
title = {operative},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/operative},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
