operative

Meanings

• a person secretly employed in espionage for a government
• someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information
• being in force or having or exerting force
  • "operative regulations"
  • "the major tendencies operative in the American political system"
• relating to or requiring or amenable to treatment by surgery especially as opposed to medicine
  • "operative dentistry"
• effective; producing a desired effect
  • "the operative word"
• (of e.g. a machine) performing or capable of performing

Synonyms

functional, intelligence agent, intelligence officer, PI, private detective, private eye, private investigator, running, secret agent, shamus, sherlock, surgical, working