Associations to the word «Operative»

Wiktionary

OPERATIVE, adjective. Effectual or important.
OPERATIVE, adjective. Functional, in working order.
OPERATIVE, adjective. Having the power of acting; hence, exerting force, physical or moral; active in the production of effects.
OPERATIVE, adjective. Producing the appropriate or designed effect; efficacious.
OPERATIVE, adjective. Based upon, or consisting of, a surgical operation or operations.
OPERATIVE, noun. An employee or other worker with some particular function or skill.
OPERATIVE, noun. A spy, secret agent, or detective.
OPERATIVE, noun. A participant of an operation.
OPERATIVE CLAUSE, noun. (legal) A clause (of a judgment, order, resolution, etc.) which requires anything to be done or not to be done.
OPERATIVE WORD, noun. The key word in a sentence.
OPERATIVE WORDS, noun. Plural of operative word

Dictionary definition

OPERATIVE, noun. A person secretly employed in espionage for a government.
OPERATIVE, noun. Someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information.
OPERATIVE, adjective. Being in force or having or exerting force; "operative regulations"; "the major tendencies operative in the American political system".
OPERATIVE, adjective. Relating to or requiring or amenable to treatment by surgery especially as opposed to medicine; "a surgical appendix"; "a surgical procedure"; "operative dentistry".
OPERATIVE, adjective. Effective; producing a desired effect; "the operative word".
OPERATIVE, adjective. (of e.g. a machine) performing or capable of performing; "in running (or working) order"; "a functional set of brakes".

Wise words

Language is a process of free creation; its laws and principles are fixed, but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied. Even the interpretation and use of words involves a process of free creation.
Noam Chomsky