What does operative mean?

Definitions for operative
ˈɒp ər ə tɪv, ˈɒp rə tɪv, ˈɒp əˌreɪ tɪvop·er·a·tive

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word operative.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. secret agent, intelligence officer, intelligence agent, operativenoun

    a person secretly employed in espionage for a government

  2. private detective, PI, private eye, private investigator, operative, shamus, sherlockadjective

    someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information

  3. operativeadjective

    being in force or having or exerting force

    "operative regulations"; "the major tendencies operative in the American political system"

  4. surgical, operativeadjective

    relating to or requiring or amenable to treatment by surgery especially as opposed to medicine

    "a surgical appendix"; "a surgical procedure"; "operative dentistry"

  5. operativeadjective

    effective; producing a desired effect

    "the operative word"

  6. running(a), operative, functional, working(a)adjective

    (of e.g. a machine) performing or capable of performing

    "in running (or working) order"; "a functional set of brakes"

GCIDE

  1. Operativenoun

    One who acts as an agent of another, especially a detective or spy.

Wiktionary

  1. operativenoun

    An employee or other worker with some particular function or skill.

  2. operativenoun

    A spy, secret agent, or detective.

  3. operativenoun

    A participant of an operation.

  4. operativeadjective

    Effectual or important.

    He's usually in a good mood the operative word there being "usually". Today was a disaster.

  5. operativeadjective

    Functional, in working order.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Operativeadjective

    Having the power of acting; having forcible agency.

    Etymology: from operate.

    To be over curious in searching how God’s all-piercing and operative spirit distinguishing gave form to the matter of the universal, is a search like unto his, who not contented with a known ford, will presume to pass over the greatest rivers in all parts where he is ignorant of their depths. Ral.

    Many of the nobility endeavoured to make themselves popular, by speaking in parliament against those things which were most grateful to his majesty; and he thought a little discountenance upon those persons would suppress that spirit within themselves, or make the poison of it less operative upon others. Edward Hyde.

    In actions of religion we should be zealous, active and operative, so far as prudence will permit. Taylor.

    This circumstance of the promise must give life to all the rest, and make them operative toward the producing of good life. Decay of Piety.

    It holds in all operative principles, especially in morality; in which, not to proceed, is certainly to go backward. South.

    The will is the conclusion of an operative syllogism. John Norris.

ChatGPT

  1. operative

    An operative is a person who performs undercover or secret work, often in a political or business setting. This may involve investigative tasks, gathering intelligence, or carrying out specific missions. Additionally, in a broader sense, "operative" can also refer to someone or something that is functioning or exerting force, having a significant effect, or being in effect or operation.

Entomology

  1. Operative

    in working order or actually working.

Matched Categories

How to pronounce operative?

How to say operative in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of operative in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of operative in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of operative in a Sentence

  1. Lindsay Clausen:

    Hope is the operative word here. I'm not necessarily banking on it 100 % because who knows with the next administration what they're going to decide.

  2. Saul Anuzis:

    He's a hyper-fast moving type of guy, when he sits across from you and says,' I'm making a commitment and I'm asking you to make a commitment,' -- he's not benefiting from it financially or politically in any way -- I think that's a pretty powerful selling tool to have.' Keep the Promises This summer, Toby Neugebauer stepped back from day-to-day operations and was replaced primarily by David Barton, a Texas operative with deep ties to the nation's pastors. Tom Patrick, Tom Patrick, said Tom Patrick hadn't heard from Toby Neugebauer in months. Like David Barton, the three groups tied to the three anchor families all have religious tones. Keep the Promise III, backed solely by $ 15 million from Texas fracking giants Farris and Dan Wilks, is breaking through in digital organizing via Promise III Reigniting the Promise project, with a months-old Facebook page that has quickly earned more than 350,000 likes. Conservative Solutions Project is advised by Jon Francis, a Dan Wilks family member and the manager of their philanthropic giving, along with a coterie of anti-abortion activists from a group called Online for Life, who have no prior experience in partisan politics. Keep the Promise I, funded by Long Island billionaire Robert Mercer and helmed by Kellyanne Conway, a well-regarded GOP political operative, is focusing a $ 1 million radio campaign on Christian channels in Iowa, where Ted Cruz is increasingly polling well. The $ 11 million group is also diversifying its portfolio and hiring organizers in the states. Steve King, an Iowa political operative and son of powerful Rep. Steve King, is leading a growing field team in the Hawkeye State, and there are plans to staff up in South Carolina as well to supplement the official campaign field team -- which South Carolina's bumping into on the trail.

  3. Foreign Affairs:

    I have not seen anything that could prove that he( Levinson) was ever in Press TV Iran. In fact, we have seen evidence... he was last seen alive outside Press TV Iran, with pictures showing that he was outside Iran when he was last seen, press TV Iran's Press TV Iran. We've said clearly that we have no knowledge of his whereabouts. ... We need the United States to explain for Press TV Iran what a CIA operative was doing, if he was ever in Iranian territory, what was he doing in Iranian territory.

  4. George W. Bush:

    Our intelligence community believes (he) was training in poisons at an al Qaeda camp in Afghanistan, and had been sent to the United States before September the 11th to serve as a sleeper agent ready for follow-on attacks, among the potential targets our intelligence community believes this al Qaeda operative discussed … were water reservoirs, the New York Stock Exchange and United States military academies such as this one.

  5. Joan Donovan:

    [ Trump ] is a newsworthy and historical figure that has not been convicted of any crime, and if Meta is dedicated to the same kind of free speech values that Twitter is, then they would likely let Donald Trump back on, the big question is about network incitement … there’s no other technology in which a politician or political operative could incite such fervor as openly as they were able to do for January 6, and the technology has n’t changed in any significant way that would prevent something like this from happening again.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

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Translations for operative

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"operative." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/operative>.

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