operative
1. a person secretly employed in espionage for a government • Syn: secret agent, intelligence officer, intelligence agent • Hypernyms: agent • Hyponyms: agent-in-place, agent provocateur, provocateur, bridge agent, case officer, case officer, windtalker, foot, NOC, spy, undercover agent, walk-in 2. someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information • Syn: private detective, PI, private eye, private investigator, shamus, sherlock • Hypernyms: detective • Hyponyms: hotel detective, house detective, house dick, inquiry agent, store detective
1. being in force or having or exerting force (Freq. 1) - operative regulations - the major tendencies operative in the American political system • Ant: inoperative • Similar to: operant, effective, good, in effect, in force, operational, in operation, operating, working 2. relating to or requiring or amenable to treatment by surgery especially as opposed to medicine - a surgical appendix - a surgical procedure - operative dentistry • Syn: surgical • Ant: medical (for: surgical) • Similar to: preoperative, postoperative • Derivationally related forms: operate, operation, surgery (for: surgical) 3. effective; producing a desired effect - the operative word • Similar to: significant, important 4. (of e.g. a machine) performing or capable of performing - in running (or working) order - a functional set of brakes • Syn: running, functional, working • Similar to: functioning • Derivationally related forms: functionality (for: functional), operate
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