operative

See also: opérative

English

Etymology

From Middle French operatif (modern French opératif).

Pronunciation

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

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

Adjective

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, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London:

     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

Derived terms

• co-operative
• Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
• inoperative
• intra-operative
• nonoperative
• operative clause
• operatively
• Operative Masonry
• operativeness
• operative word
• operativity
• peri-operative
• postoperative
• post-operative
• pre-operative
• preoperative
• retro-operative
• unco-operative

 

Related terms

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

Translations

effectual

• Bulgarian: действащ (bg) (dejstvašt)
• Danish: vigtig (da), bærende
• Dutch: werkzaam (nl)
• Finnish: vaikuttava (fi)
• French: opératif (fr)
• Italian: operativo (it)
• Russian: де́йственный (ru) (déjstvennyj), эффекти́вный (ru) (effektívnyj)
• Spanish: operatorio (es)

functional

• Bulgarian: работещ (bg) (rabotešt)
• Danish: fungerende (da), operativ (da)
• Dutch: werkzaam (nl)
• Finnish: toimiva (fi)
• French: opératif (fr)
• Italian: operativo (it)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: operativ

  Nynorsk: operativ

• Russian: де́йствующий (ru) (déjstvujuščij), рабо́тающий (ru) (rabótajuščij), рабо́чий (ru) (rabóčij)
• Spanish: operatorio (es)

based upon a surgical operation

• Bulgarian: оперативен (bg) (operativen)
• French: opératoire (fr)
• Italian: operatorio (it)
• Portuguese: operatório
• Spanish: operatorio (es)

Noun

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.

Translations

employee with some particular function or skill

• Danish: medarbejder (da) c
• Finnish: asiamies (fi)

participant in an operation

• Danish: deltager (da) c
• Finnish: toimija (fi)
• Yiddish: אַגענט m (agent), אַגענטקע f (agentke)

References

• 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.

Anagrams

• evaporite

German

Pronunciation

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

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

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

Italian

Adjective

operative

1. feminine plural of operativo

Anagrams

• evaporite, operatevi

Latin

Adjective

operātīve

1. vocative masculine singular of operātīvus

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

operative

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

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

operative

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

Swedish

Adjective

operative

1. definite natural masculine singular of operativ