operative

1 being in effective operation the last operative bookbinder of its kind in the business Synonyms alive, functional, functioning, going, live, living, on, operating, operational, active, running, workingRelated Words effective, effectual; employable, operable, usable (also useable), viable, workable; performing, producing, productive, serving, useful, yielding; astir, bustling, busy, dynamic, flourishing, humming, roaring, thrivingNear Antonyms deactivated, decommissioned; ineffective, ineffectual, useless; inoperable, unusable, unworkable; arrested, asleep, dormant, fallow, idle, inert, latent, lifeless, nonproductive, quiescent, sleepy, stagnating, unproductive, vegetatingAntonyms broken, dead, inactive, inoperative, kaput (also kaputt), nonactivated, nonfunctional, nonfunctioning, nonoperating, nonoperational, nonoperative

2 producing or capable of producing a desired result unfortunately, the operative amount of the medication and the lethal amount were too close for it to be used safely Synonyms effectual, efficacious, efficient, fruitful, effective, potent, productiveRelated Words hyperefficient, ultraefficient; adequate, capable, competent; accomplished, adept, consummate, experienced, expert, masterly, practiced (also practised), proficient, skilled, skillful, versed, veteran, virtuoso; cogent, convincing, killer, sound, striking, telling, valid; active, dynamic; useful, working; applicable, feasible, functional, practicable, practical, realizable, usable (also useable), workableNear Antonyms counterproductive; incapable, incompetent, inexperienced, inexpert, unqualified, unseasoned, unskilled, unskillful; abortive, bootless, futile, vain; empty, hollow, idle, pointless, unavailing, unprofitable, unsuccessful; inoperative, worthlessAntonyms fruitless, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient, inoperative, unfruitful, unproductive, useless

1 a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country CIA operatives take terrible risks to find out the secrets of foreign countries Synonyms agent, asset, emissary, intelligencer, mole, spy, spook, undercoverRelated Words courier; counterspy, double agent, sleeper; infiltrator, informer, stool pigeon; spymaster, superspy

2 a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons set in the 1930s, the novel is about a washed-out operative working for a third-rate detective agency Synonyms dick, gumshoe, hawkshaw, investigator, detective, private detective, private eye, private investigator, shamus [slang], sherlock, sleuth, sleuthhoundRelated Words shadow, tail, tracer, tracker; fed, Federal, G-man, narc (or nark) [slang], plainclothesman