operative
pronunciation
How to pronounce operative in British English:
UK [ˈɒpərətɪv]
How to pronounce operative in American English:
US [ˈɑːpərətɪv]
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- Noun:
- a person secretly employed in espionage for a government
- someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information
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- Adjective:
- being in force or having or exerting force
- of or relating to a surgical operation
- relating to or requiring or amenable to treatment by surgery especially as opposed to medicine
- effective; producing a desired effect
- (of e.g. a machine) performing or capable of performing
Word Origin
- operative (adj.)
- "producing the intended effect," early 15c., from Old French operatif (14c.) or directly from Late Latin operativus "creative, formative," from operat-, past participle stem of operari (see operation). Weakened sense of "significant, important" is from 1955.
- operative (n.)
- "worker, operator," 1809, from operative (adj.); sense of "secret agent, spy" is first attested 1930, probably from its use by the Pinkerton Detective Agency as a title for their private detectives (1905).
Antonym
Example
- 1. Of course , the operative phrase here is " in theory . "
- 2. There has been a curious symmetry to the events of the past few weeks , one republican operative notes .
- 3. As if to prove it , pakistani authorities arrested an al-qaeda operative in karachi .
- 4. Her party talks grandly of a concept of " operative federalism " , meaning that states should get more control of public funds .
- 5. I enjoyed following myself down a street , as a dot on a map , for instance , but all I was really doing was being both cia operative and target in a tiny movie of my own life .