/ ˈɒpərətɪv; NAmE ˈɑːpərətɪv; -reɪt-/ noun , adjective
■ noun
1.
( technical ) a worker, especially one who works with their hands :
a factory operative
skilled / unskilled operatives
2.
( especially NAmE ) a person who does secret work, especially for a government organization :
an intelligence operative
■ adjective
1.
[ not usually before noun ] ready to be used; in use
SYN functional :
This law becomes operative immediately.
The station will be fully operative again in January.
2.
[ only before noun ] ( medical ) connected with a medical operation :
operative treatment
—see also post-operative
•
IDIOMS
- the operative word
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from late Latin operativus , from Latin operat- done by labour, from the verb operari , from opus , oper- work.