OPERATIVE as NOUN

1. Meaning
   • someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information
   Synonym(s)
   • PI (what does PI mean?)
   • private detective (what does private detective mean?)
   • private eye (what does private eye mean?)
   • private investigator (what does private investigator mean?)
   • shamus (what does shamus mean?)
   • sherlock (what does sherlock mean?)
   Hypernyms(s) operative is a kind of… Example: animal is a hypernym of mammal, plant is a hypernym of flower
   • detective (what does detective mean?)
   Hyponym(s)
   • hotel detective (what does hotel detective mean?)
   • house detective (what does house detective mean?)
   • house dick (what does house dick mean?)
   • inquiry agent (what does inquiry agent mean?)
   • store detective (what does store detective mean?)
2. Meaning
   • a person secretly employed in espionage for a government
   Synonym(s)
   • intelligence agent (what does intelligence agent mean?)
   • intelligence officer (what does intelligence officer mean?)
   • secret agent (what does secret agent mean?)
   Hypernyms(s) operative is a kind of… Example: animal is a hypernym of mammal, plant is a hypernym of flower
   • agent (what does agent mean?)
   Hyponym(s)
   • agent-in-place (what does agent-in-place mean?)
   • agent provocateur (what does agent provocateur mean?)
   • provocateur (what does provocateur mean?)
   • bridge agent (what does bridge agent mean?)
   • case officer (what does case officer mean?)
   • codetalker (what does codetalker mean?)
   • windtalker (what does windtalker mean?)
   • foot (what does foot mean?)
   • NOC (what does NOC mean?)
   • spy (what does spy mean?)
   • undercover agent (what does undercover agent mean?)
   • walk-in (what does walk-in mean?)

OPERATIVE as ADJECTIVE

1. Meaning
   • being in force or having or exerting force
   Usage Example(s)
   • operative regulations
   • the major tendencies operative in the American political system
   Antonym(s)
   • inoperative (what does inoperative mean?)
   Similar To
   • at work(p) (what does at work(p) mean?)
   • operant (what does operant mean?)
   • effective (what does effective mean?)
   • good (what does good mean?)
   • in effect(p) (what does in effect(p) mean?)
   • in force(p) (what does in force(p) mean?)
   • operational (what does operational mean?)
   • in operation(p) (what does in operation(p) mean?)
   • operating(a) (what does operating(a) mean?)
   • working (what does working mean?)
2. Meaning
   • (of e.g. a machine) performing or capable of performing
   Synonym(s)
   • functional (what does functional mean?)
   • running(a) (what does running(a) mean?)
   • working(a) (what does working(a) mean?)
   Usage Example(s)
   • in running (or working) order
   • a functional set of brakes
   Similar To
   • functioning (what does functioning mean?)
3. Meaning
   • relating to or requiring or amenable to treatment by surgery especially as opposed to medicine
   Synonym(s)
   • surgical (what does surgical mean?)
   Usage Example(s)
   • a surgical appendix
   • a surgical procedure
   • operative dentistry
   Antonym(s)
   • medical (what does medical mean?)
   Similar To
   • preoperative (what does preoperative mean?)
   • postoperative (what does postoperative mean?)
4. Meaning
   • effective
   • producing a desired effect
   Synonym(s)
   • key (what does key mean?)
   Usage Example(s)
   • the operative word
   Similar To
   • significant (what does significant mean?)
   • important (what does important mean?)
5. Meaning
   • of or relating to a surgical operation
   Usage Example(s)
   • operative surgery
   Pertainym(s)
   • operation (what does operation mean?)
   • surgery (what does surgery mean?)
   • surgical operation (what does surgical operation mean?)
   • surgical procedure (what does surgical procedure mean?)
   • surgical process (what does surgical process mean?)