HOW TO PRONOUNCE
operative
/ˈɑpəɹətɪv/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:03
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What does operative mean?
adjective
- Effectual or important.
- Functional, in working order.
- Having the power of acting; hence, exerting force, physical or moral; active in the production of effects.
More meanings (5)
adjective
- Producing the appropriate or designed effect; efficacious.
- Based upon, or consisting of, a surgical operation or operations.
noun
- An employee or other worker with some particular function or skill.
- A spy, secret agent, or detective.
- A participant in an operation.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/ˈɑpəɹətɪv/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
But public opinion is not greatly operative upon an individual unless it is the opinion of his own group.
The open sea should no longer be regarded as a neutral zone where no country's police laws are operative.
More book examples (2)
When codes are no longer operative it immediately applies itself to man, which is why so many terrorists took an intense pleasure in killing.
Tagert gives an instance of compound depressed fracture of the skull, with loss of brain-substance, in which recovery was effected without operative interference.