operative

From Middle French operatif (modern French opératif).

• IPA^(key): /ˈɒpəɹətɪv/, (colloquial) /ˈɒpɹətɪv/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

operative (comparative more operative, superlative most operative)

1. Effectual or important.

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

2. Functional, in working order.
3. Having the power of acting; hence, exerting force, physical or moral; active in the production of effects.

   an operative motive

   • 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, 6th edition, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: […] J[ames] Bettenham, for Jonah Bowyer, […], published 1727, →OCLC:

     It holds in all operative principles.

   • 1988 April 2, Phillip Brian Harper, “Lesbians and gay men of color, speak out!”, in Gay Community News, page 9:

     This call is operative not merely on the level of abstract theory.

4. Producing the appropriate or designed effect; efficacious.

   an operative dose, rule, or penalty

5. Based upon, or consisting of, a surgical operation or operations. [from 18th c.]

   operative surgery

• operand
• operant
• operate
• operation
• operational
• operator

operative (plural operatives)

1. An employee or other worker with some particular function or skill.
2. A spy, secret agent, or detective.
3. A participant in an operation.

• James A. H. Murray [et al.], editors (1884–1928), “Operative”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volumes VII (O–P), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 145, column 2.

• evaporite

• IPA^(key): [opəʁaˈtiːvə], [ɔpəʁaˈtiːvə]

• Audio

  (file)

operative

1. inflection of operativ:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

operative

1. feminine plural of operativo

• evaporite, operatevi

operātīve

1. vocative masculine singular of operātīvus

operative

1. inflection of operativ:
   1. definite singular
   2. plural

operative

1. inflection of operativ:
   1. definite singular
   2. plural

operative

1. definite natural masculine singular of operativ