1. (noun) secret agent, intelligence officer, intelligence agent, operative
a person secretly employed in espionage for a government
2. (adj) private detective, PI, private eye, private investigator, operative, shamus, sherlock
someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information
3. (adj) operative
being in force or having or exerting force
"operative regulations"; "the major tendencies operative in the American political system"
4. (adj) surgical, operative
relating to or requiring or amenable to treatment by surgery especially as opposed to medicine
"a surgical appendix"; "a surgical procedure"; "operative dentistry"
5. (adj) operative
effective; producing a desired effect
"the operative word"
6. (adj) running(a), operative, functional, working(a)
(of e.g. a machine) performing or capable of performing
"in running (or working) order"; "a functional set of brakes"
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Definition of 'operative' 
