executor vs operative

executor

noun
  • A person who carries out some task. 

  • Someone appointed by a testator to administer a will; an administrator. 

  • A component of a system that executes or runs something. 

operative

noun
  • An employee or other worker with some particular function or skill. 

  • A spy, secret agent, or detective. 

  • A participant in an operation. 

adj
  • Functional, in working order. 

  • Effectual or important. 

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

  • Producing the appropriate or designed effect; efficacious. 

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

How often have the words executor and operative occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )