Search Result for "operative":
Wordnet 3.0
NOUN (2)
1. a person secretly employed in espionage for a government;
[syn: secret agent, intelligence officer, intelligence agent, operative]
2. someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information;
[syn: private detective, PI, private eye, private investigator, operative, shamus, sherlock]
ADJECTIVE (4)
1. being in force or having or exerting force;
- Example: "operative regulations"
- Example: "the major tendencies operative in the American political system"
2. relating to or requiring or amenable to treatment by surgery especially as opposed to medicine;
- Example: "a surgical appendix"
- Example: "a surgical procedure"
- Example: "operative dentistry"
[syn: surgical, operative]
3. effective; producing a desired effect;
- Example: "the operative word"
4. (of e.g. a machine) performing or capable of performing;
- Example: "in running (or working) order"
- Example: "a functional set of brakes"
[syn: running(a), operative, functional, working(a)]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Operative \Op"er*a*tive\, a. [Cf.L. operativus, F. op['e]ratif.] 1. Having the power of acting; hence, exerting force, physical or moral; active in the production of effects; as, an operative motive; operative laws. [1913 Webster] It holds in all operative principles. --South. [1913 Webster] 2. Producing the appropriate or designed effect; efficacious; effective; as, an operative dose, rule, or penalty. [1913 Webster] 3. (Surg.) Based upon, or consisting of, an operation or operations; as, operative surgery. [1913 Webster]The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Operative \Op"er*a*tive\, n. 1. A skilled worker; an artisan; esp., one who operates a machine in a mill or manufactory. [1913 Webster] 2. One who acts as an agent of another, especially a detective or spy. [PJC]Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
134 Moby Thesaurus words for "operative": Bow Street runner, CIA man, FBI, FBI agent, Federal, G-man, Secret Service, Sherlock Holmes, T-man, accessible, active, actor, agent, alive, architect, armipotent, artisan, author, authoritative, cloak-and-dagger operative, cogent, conductor, counterintelligence agent, counterspy, craftsman, craftswoman, creator, detective, doer, double agent, driver, dynamic, effective, effectual, efficacious, efficient, employable, employee, energetic, engineer, espionage agent, executant, executor, executrix, eye, fabricator, fed, forceful, forcible, functional, functionary, functioning, go, gumshoe, hand, handler, high-potency, high-powered, high-pressure, high-tension, hotel detective, house detective, house dick, in force, in power, inquiry agent, inside man, intelligence agent, investigator, irresistible, laborer, live, machinist, maker, manipulator, mechanic, medium, mighty, mighty in battle, military-intelligence man, mover, narc, naval-intelligence man, operant, operation, operational, operator, performer, perpetrator, pilot, plainclothesman, police detective, potent, powerful, practicable, practical, practitioner, prepotent, prime mover, private detective, private eye, private investigator, producer, puissant, reconnoiterer, revenuer, roustabout, ruling, runner, running, scout, secret agent, shamus, sleuth, spotter, spy, spy-catcher, steersman, store detective, striking, strong, subject, telling, treasury agent, undercover man, usable, valid, vigorous, vital, worker, workhand, working, workingman, workman
