operative words

Meanings

1. 1phrasepluralformallegal

   the words in a statement or document that carry the main legal or practical force

   Grammar: Always plural; often used with "the" and followed by "are" or "of".

   Patterns

   • the operative words are ...
   • the operative words of something

   In the contract, the operative words are "within thirty days", not "as soon as possible".

   The judge said the operative words in the statute were "knowingly" and "intentionally".

   When you summarize a law, you must keep the operative words unchanged.

2. 2phrasepluralformal

   the most important words in a sentence or argument that give it its real meaning

   Grammar: Used more generally to highlight key terms in any discussion.

   Patterns

   • the operative words in something
   • the operative words are ...

   In her apology, the operative words were "I was wrong".

   The operative words in his speech were "we must act now".

Common combinations

the operative words are

The operative words are "no later than Friday".

operative words in a contract

Lawyers focus on the operative words in a contract.

key operative words

The key operative words were "without consent".

Synonyms and how they differ

key terms

Key terms is a more general phrase and can refer to any important vocabulary, not specifically the words that have legal force.

operative clause

An operative clause is a whole section of a legal document that has effect, not just the important words.

Word family

operative adjective

Having effect; important.

operation noun

The act of working or being in effect.

Commonly confused: operative words or operational words?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “operative words”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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