operative

Adjective
  1. Being in force or having or exerting force (synset 300835886)
    "operative regulations"; "the major tendencies operative in the American political system"
    similar to:
  2. Relating to or requiring or amenable to treatment by surgery especially as opposed to medicine (synset 301172738)
    "a surgical appendix"; "a surgical procedure"; "operative dentistry"
    similar to:
    • preoperative - happening or done before and in preparation for a surgical operation
    • postoperative - happening or done after a surgical operation
    same as: surgical
  3. Effective;
    Producing a desired effect (synset 302171606)
    "the operative word"
    similar to: important, significant - important in effect or meaning
  4. (of e.g. a machine) performing or capable of performing (synset 301095421)
    "in running (or working) order"; "a functional set of brakes"
    similar to: functioning - performing or able to perform its regular function
    same as: functional, running, working
Noun
  1. A person secretly employed in espionage for a government (synset 110588855)
    is a type of: agent - a representative who acts on behalf of other persons or organizations
    subtypes:
    • agent-in-place - an operative serving as a penetration into an intelligence target
    • agent provocateur, provocateur - a secret agent who incites suspected persons to commit illegal acts
    • bridge agent - an operative who acts as a courier or go-between from a case officer to a secret agent in a hostile area
    • case officer - an operative who also serves as an official staffer of an intelligence service
    • codetalker, windtalker - a secret agent who was one of the Navajos who devised and used a code based on their native language; the code was unbroken by the Japanese during World War II
    • foot - a member of a surveillance team who works on foot or rides as a passenger
    • noc - an undercover agent who is given no official cover
    • spy, undercover agent - (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
    • walk-in - an operative who initiates his own defection (usually to a hostile country) for political asylum
    same as: intelligence agent, intelligence officer, secret agent
  2. Someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information (synset 110496256)
    is a type of: detective - an investigator engaged or employed in obtaining information not easily available to the public
    subtypes:
    same as: pi, private detective, private eye, private investigator, shamus, sherlock

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