operative: Meaning and Definition of

op•er•a•tive

Pronunciation: (op'ur-u-tiv, op'ru-tiv, op'u-rā"tiv), [key]
— n.
  1. a person engaged, employed, or skilled in some branch of work, esp. productive or industrial work; worker.
  2. a detective.
  3. a secret agent; spy.
—adj.
  1. operating, or exerting force, power, or influence.
  2. having force; being in effect or operation: laws operative in this city.
  3. effective or efficacious.
  4. engaged in, concerned with, or pertaining to work or productive activity.
  5. significant; key: The operative word in that sentence is “sometimes.”
  6. concerned with, involving, or pertaining to surgical operations.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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