operative
See also: opérative
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From Middle French operatif (modern French opératif), equivalent to operate + -ive.
Pronunciation
[edit]- IPA(key): /ˈɒpəɹətɪv/, (colloquial) /ˈɒpɹətɪv/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
Adjective
[edit]operative (comparative more operative, superlative most operative)
- Effectual or important.
- He's usually in a good mood — the operative word there being "usually". Today was a disaster.
- Functional, in working order.
- Having the power of acting; hence, exerting force, physical or moral; active in the production of effects.
- an operative motive
- 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London:
- It holds in all operative principles.
- 1988 April 2, Phillip Brian Harper, “Lesbians and gay men of color, speak out!”, in Gay Community News, page 9:
- This call is operative not merely on the level of abstract theory.
- Producing the appropriate or designed effect; efficacious.
- an operative dose, rule, or penalty
- Based upon, or consisting of, a surgical operation or operations. [from 18th c.]
- operative surgery
Derived terms
[edit]Related terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]effectual
|
functional
based upon a surgical operation
|
Noun
[edit]operative (plural operatives)
- An employee or other worker with some particular function or skill.
- 1916, Women in industry series, United States. Bureau of Labor Statistics, page 366:
- Practically 50 per cent of the female operatives are found in the two groups aged 15 to 19 and 20 to 24 years, while only 18.2 per cent of the female nonoperatives are found in these age groups.
- A spy, secret agent, or detective.
- A participant in an operation.
Translations
[edit]employee with some particular function or skill
|
participant in an operation
References
[edit]- James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Operative”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume VII (O–P), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 145, column 2.
Anagrams
[edit]German
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]Adjective
[edit]operative
- inflection of operativ:
Italian
[edit]Adjective
[edit]operative
Anagrams
[edit]Latin
[edit]Adjective
[edit]operātīve
Norwegian Bokmål
[edit]Adjective
[edit]operative
Norwegian Nynorsk
[edit]Adjective
[edit]operative
Swedish
[edit]Adjective
[edit]operative
Categories:
- English terms borrowed from Middle French
- English terms derived from Middle French
- English terms suffixed with -ive
- English 4-syllable words
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- English lemmas
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- en:People
- German terms with IPA pronunciation
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- Italian non-lemma forms
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- Latin non-lemma forms
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- Norwegian Bokmål non-lemma forms
- Norwegian Bokmål adjective forms
- Norwegian Nynorsk non-lemma forms
- Norwegian Nynorsk adjective forms
- Swedish non-lemma forms
- Swedish adjective forms