operative word

English

Noun

operative word (plural operative words)

1. The key word in a sentence.

   Planes crash rarely, but for the media the operative word is "crash".

Further reading

• “operative word”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
• “the operative word” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.
• “the operative word” (US) / “the operative word” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.