| 例句 |
operative adjective 1.•this piece of legislation is not yet operative:in force, in operation, in effect, valid. ANT invalid. 2.•most of our antique machinery is operative. See operational. 3.•when I say ‘perhaps I'll go,’ the operative word is ‘perhaps’:key, significant, relevant, applicable, pertinent, apposite, germane, crucial, critical, pivotal, central, essential. ANT irrelevant.▶noun 1.•the operatives clean the machines:machinist, (machine) operator, mechanic, engineer, worker, workman, blue-collar worker. 2.•an operative of the CIA:agent, secret agent, undercover agent, spy, mole, plant, double agent | informal spook | archaic intelligencer. 3.•we hired our own operatives:detective, private detective, investigator, private investigator, sleuth | informal private eye, bloodhound | informal dated gumshoe, dick, private dick. |