Operative
/ˈɑːp.ər.ə.tɪv/noun
Serving to produce an effect or in practical use; also, a person who performs secret or specialized work.
Did you know?Operative comes from Latin *operari* (“to work”), the same root behind *cooperate* and *operate*—a reminder that in older language, power was measured by what you could make happen.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂erh₃-
“to fit together, join, work”
Latin
Latin
opus
“work, task, deed”
Latin
Latin
operari
“to work, labor, perform”
Late Latin
Latin
operativus
“effective, practical; working”
Middle English
English
operative
“effective; having the power to act”
Modern English
English
operative
“functioning, effective, or acting as an agent or worker”