1
as in spy
a person who tries secretly to obtain information for one country in the territory of another usually unfriendly country
CIA operatives take terrible risks to find out the secrets of foreign countries
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in detective
a person not on the police force who investigates criminal or illicit activity or searches for missing persons
set in the 1930s, the novel is about a washed-out operative working for a third-rate detective agency
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in operating
being in effective operation
the last operative bookbinder of its kind in the business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in efficient
producing or capable of producing a desired result
unfortunately, the operative amount of the medication and the lethal amount were too close for it to be used safely
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of operative
Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
The ministry did not clarify the ratio of Hezbollah operatives to Lebanese civilians.
—Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 26 Oct. 2024
Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
As enablers of advancement in fintech, regtech empowers institutions and regulatory bodies to ease their operative activities regarding regulatory compliance.
—Khurram Akhtar, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for operative 
Noun
But, according to Vance’s advisers, the prospect that Trump might pick him for the ticket emerged only around the time of the New Hampshire primary, in January, when word began leaking from operatives close to Mar-a-Lago.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
The ministry did not clarify the ratio of Hezbollah operatives to Lebanese civilians.
—Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 26 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Yet this brief text—plus its still operative amendments, another 3,112 words—underwrites our entire system of government.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
As enablers of advancement in fintech, regtech empowers institutions and regulatory bodies to ease their operative activities regarding regulatory compliance.
—Khurram Akhtar, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for operative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operative
Noun
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Iranian officials told Newsweek that their intelligence services would be more likely to recruit non-Muslim individuals without links to Iran as Israeli officials accuse the Islamic Republic of cultivating spy rings in anticipation of future attacks.David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
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The series will be produced by Charman’s own production company Binocular Productions, which was the company behind Netflix spy series Treason.Peter White, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
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In 2010, cold case detectives recovered additional items and sent them for DNA testing, leading to the DNA profile of a male suspect.Alaa Elassar, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
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Police said no suspects were in custody and that area detectives were investigating the shooting.Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Under Proposition 309, voters casting mail-in ballots could provide a driver's license or non-operating identification license number, the last four digits of a social security number, or a unique identifying number provided by the secretary of state for voter registration purposes.Arlyssa D. Becenti, The Arizona Republic, 27 Oct. 2022
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The adjusted net income decreased by 8% y-o-y to $3.9 billion in the first nine months of 2022 due to higher expenses as a % of revenues and lower non-operating income.Trefis Team, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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Google added a faster and more energy efficient processor and upped the RAM to 16 megabytes.Larry Magid, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
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Step two: Seize the moment, in between chops and chants and CBS cutaways to Taylor Swift. Step three: Have Bo Nix deliver the most efficient outing in the biggest game of his NFL career.Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
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In addition to the phone seizure, FBI agents obtained a warrant to access Ogles' personal email account.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
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And here’s where things get politically and professionally dicey for our agents because Sweeney expected trouble and set up shop in the NCIS parking lot.Sara Netzley, EW.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Anyone with information may call homicide investigators at 510-238-3821 or the tip line at 510-238-7950.Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
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Liberation reported that a raid was also being conducted simultaneously in Netflix’s European HQ in the Netherlands, following months-long cooperation between French and Dutch investigators.Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Key to this work reimagining the district is taking a hard look at our staffing structure and operational costs.Kyla Johnson-Trammell, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
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Israel killed or imprisoned Palestinian commanders, along with thousands of civilians, leaving Palestinian operational units leaderless and uncoordinated.Sarah E. Parkinson, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Skyla: Skyla begins working seven days after insertion and is effective for three years.Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 5 Nov. 2024
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Former President Trump and his allies have vowed to go after the media in a second presidential term, but a strong U.S. legal and regulatory framework means bullying and harassment campaigns would probably be more effective than leveraging presidential powers.Sara Fischer, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near operative
Cite this Entry
“Operative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operative. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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