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# operative

adjective; noun (an operative, operatives)

«operative» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Working, in action: «The new system is now operative.» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/operative/#m1)
2. (noun) A worker, especially one who works machines in a factory. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/operative/#m2)
3. (noun) A secret agent or spy. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/operative/#m3)
4. To do with a medical operation: «post-operative care». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/operative/#m4)

### In the lessons

Formal and news word. «The operative word» means the most important word in a sentence. In hospitals: pre-operative (before surgery) and post-operative (after). In spy stories, an operative is an agent on a mission.

### Examples

- The new lift will be operative from Monday. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/operative/#x1)
- The factory hired ten more operatives. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/operative/#x2)
- The spy film followed a secret operative in Paris. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/operative/#x3)
- «Free» was the operative word in the advert. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/operative/#x4)
- After his operation Grandad needed post-operative care. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/operative/#x5)
- The rules became operative at the start of term. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/operative/#x6)

### Note

Adjective and countable noun. Related: operate, operation, operator. Phrase: «the operative word» = the key word. Use «an» before it.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «operative» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/operative/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«operative» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/operative.html) on Mova free.