Adjective

(en adjective)

Effectual or important.

He's usually in a good mood — the operative word there being "usually". Today was a disaster.

Functional, in working order.

Having the power of acting; hence, exerting force, physical or moral; active in the production of effects.

an operative motive

* South

It holds in all operative principles.

Producing the appropriate or designed effect; efficacious.

an operative dose, rule, or penalty

Based upon, or consisting of, a surgical operation or operations.

operative surgery

Adjective

(er)

Untrue, not factual, factually incorrect.

*{{quote-book, year=1551, year_published=1888

, title= A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles: Founded Mainly on the Materials Collected by the Philological Society , section=Part 1, publisher=Clarendon Press, location=Oxford, editor= , volume=1, page=217 , passage=Also the rule of false position, with dyuers examples not onely vulgar, but some appertaynyng to the rule of Algeber.}}

Based on factually incorrect premises: false legislation

Spurious, artificial.

:

*

*:At her invitation he outlined for her the succeeding chapters with terse military accuracy?; and what she liked best and best understood was avoidance of that false modesty which condescends, turning technicality into pabulum.

(lb) Of a state in Boolean logic that indicates a negative result.

Uttering falsehood; dishonest or deceitful.

:

Not faithful or loyal, as to obligations, allegiance, vows, etc.; untrue; treacherous.

:

*(John Milton) (1608-1674)

*:I to myself was false , ere thou to me.

Not well founded; not firm or trustworthy; erroneous.

:

*(Edmund Spenser) (c.1552–1599)

*:whose false foundation waves have swept away

Not essential or permanent, as parts of a structure which are temporary or supplemental.

(lb) Out of tune.