- operative - being in force or having or exerting force; "operative regulations"; "the major tendencies operative in the American political system"
Antonyms: inoperative, down, dead, defunct
- operative - of or relating to a surgical operation; "operative surgery"
- surgical, operative - relating to or requiring or amenable to treatment by surgery especially as opposed to medicine; "a surgical appendix"; "a surgical procedure"; "operative dentistry"
- operative, key - effective; producing a desired effect; "the operative word"
Antonyms: insignificant, unimportant (indirect, via significant)
- running, operative, functional, working - (of e.g. a machine) performing or capable of performing; "in running (or working) order"; "a functional set of brakes"
Antonyms: malfunctioning, nonfunctional (indirect, via functioning)
- surgical, operative - relating to or requiring or amenable to treatment by surgery especially as opposed to medicine; "a surgical appendix"; "a surgical procedure"; "operative dentistry"
- secret agent, intelligence officer, intelligence agent, operative - a person secretly employed in espionage for a government
--1 is a kind of agent
--1 has particulars:agent-in-place; agent provocateur, provocateur; bridge agent; case officer; codetalker, windtalker; foot; NOC; spy, undercover agent; walk-in - private detective, PI, private eye, private investigator, operative, shamus, sherlock - someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information
--2 is a kind of detective
--2 has particulars:hotel detective, house detective, house dick; inquiry agent; store detective