HyperDic: operative

English > 6 senses of the word *operative*:
ADJECTIVE	all	operative	being in force or having or exerting force
	all	operative, surgical	relating to or requiring or amenable to treatment by surgery especially as opposed to medicine
	all	operative	effective
	all	operative, running, functional, working	(of e.g. a machine) performing or capable of performing
NOUN	person	operative, secret agent, intelligence officer, intelligence agent	a person secretly employed in espionage for a government
NOUN	person	operative, private detective, PI, private eye, private investigator, shamus, sherlock	someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information

operative > pronunciation
Sounds	aa'perahtihv
Rhymes	abortive ... vituperative: 304 rhymes with ihv...

English > *operative*: 6 senses > adjective 1
Meaning	In force or having or exerting force.
Examples	"operative regulations" "the major tendencies operative in the American political system"
Narrower	effective, good, in effect, in force	Exerting force or influence
	operant	Having influence or producing an effect
	operational, in operation, operating	in effect or operation
	working	Serving to permit or facilitate further work or activity
Opposite	inoperative	not working or taking effect
Spanish	operativo
Catalan	operatiu

English > *operative*: 6 senses > adjective 2
Meaning	relating to or requiring or amenable to treatment by surgery especially as opposed to medicine.
Example	"operative dentistry"
Synonym	surgical
Narrower	postoperative	happening or done after a surgical operation
Narrower	preoperative	happening or done before and in preparation for a surgical operation
Opposite	medical	requiring or amenable to treatment by medicine especially as opposed to surgery
Spanish	operatorio, quirúrgica, quirúrgico
Catalan	operatori, quirúrgic
Nouns	operation	a medical procedure involving an incision with instruments
Verbs	operate	perform surgery on

English > *operative*: 6 senses > adjective 3
Meaning	effective; producing a desired effect.
Example	"the operative word"
Broader	significant, important	Important in effect or meaning / meaning
Adverbs	operatively	in a manner to produce an effect

English > *operative*: 6 senses > adjective 4
Meaning	(of e.g. a machine) performing or capable of performing.
Synonyms	running, functional, working
Broader	functioning	Performing or able to perform its regular function
Spanish	funcional, operativo
Catalan	operatiu
Verbs	operate	handle and cause to function
Verbs	operate	perform as expected when applied

English > *operative*: 6 senses > noun 1, person
Meaning	A person secretly employed in espionage for a government.
Synonyms	secret agent, intelligence officer, intelligence agent
Narrower	NOC	An undercover agent who is given no official cover
	agent-in-place	An operative serving as a penetration into an intelligence target
	agent provocateur, provocateur	A secret agent who incites / incites suspected persons to commit illegal acts
	bridge agent	An operative who acts as a courier or go-between from a case officer to a secret agent in a hostile area
	case officer	An operative who also serves as an official staffer of an intelligence service
	codetalker, windtalker	A secret agent who was one of the Navajos who devised and used a code based on their native language
	foot	A member of a surveillance team who works on foot or rides as a passenger
	spy, undercover agent	(military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
	walk-in	An operative who initiates his own defection (usually to a hostile country) for political asylum
Broader	agent	A representative who acts on behalf of other persons or organizations
Spanish	agente de inteligencia, agente operativo, agente secreto
Catalan	agent d'intel·ligència, agent operatiu, agent secret

English > *operative*: 6 senses > noun 2, person
Meaning	someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information.
Synonyms	private detective, PI, private eye, private investigator, shamus, sherlock
Narrower	hotel detective, house detective, house dick	A private detective employed by a hotel or retail store
	inquiry agent	A private detective
	store detective	A private detective employed by a merchant to stop pilferage
Broader	detective	An investigator / investigator engaged or employed in obtaining information not easily available to the public
Spanish	agente, detective, detective privado, investigador privado
Catalan	agent, detectiu, detectiu privat, investigador privat

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