Operative
[n] someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information
[n] a person secretly employed in espionage for a government
[adj] being in force or having or exerting force; "operative regulations"; "the major tendencies operative in the American political system"
[adj] (of e.g. a machine) performing or capable of performing; "in running (or working) order"; "a functional set of brakes"
[adj] relating to or requiring or amenable to treatment by surgery especially as opposed to medicine; "a surgical appendix"; "a surgical procedure"; "operative dentistry"
[adj] effective; producing a desired effect; "the operative word"
[adj] of or relating to a surgical operation; "operative surgery"
Related Information
Synonyms
at work(p), effective, functional, functioning, good, important, in effect(p), in force(p), in operation(p), intelligence agent, intelligence officer, key, operant, operating(a), operational, PI, postoperative, preoperative, private detective, private eye
Related Terms
accessible, active, actor, agent, alive, architect, armipotent, artisan, author, authoritative, Bow Street runner, CIA man, cloak-and-dagger operative, cogent, conductor, counterintelligence agent, counterspy, craftsman, craftswoman, creator, detective, d