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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of operative
David Brennan, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Through much of the 19th century plenty of American journalists were either directly on the government payroll or had sideline patronage jobs working as political party operatives.
—Corey Hutchins, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Special To The Sun-Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Then, trace your finger to its peak, which, to me, was his starring role as smoldering special forces operative Scott McCoy in the 1986 action movie The Delta Force, co-starring a frail-looking but grizzled and unsmiling Lee Marvin in his last movie.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for operative
Noun
Before the outbreak of its latest war with Israel in 2023, estimates of Hezbollah's military strength ranged from 30,000 to more than 50,000 operatives.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Through much of the 19th century plenty of American journalists were either directly on the government payroll or had sideline patronage jobs working as political party operatives.
—Corey Hutchins, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
These laws are only required today because Democrats have put in place operative policies that allow for people who are not legal voters to be voting.
—Special To The Sun-Sentinel, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Then, trace your finger to its peak, which, to me, was his starring role as smoldering special forces operative Scott McCoy in the 1986 action movie The Delta Force, co-starring a frail-looking but grizzled and unsmiling Lee Marvin in his last movie.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for operative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operative
Noun
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The House sent its three-year extension of section 702 to the Senate on Wednesday, which included oversight guardrails and penalties for abuses of the spy program.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Having played British spies, lords, WWII fighters pilots and even wrestlers, Jack Lowden has now taken on his most contemporary role to date.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That evening, a detective assigned to a robbery intervention detail tried to stop a black Mercedes-Benz at Northwest 17th Avenue and 71st Street, according to a MDSO video.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
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His gift is an uncanny ability to solve crimes that leave the LAPD baffled, armed only with the savvy and dry humor reminiscent of the gumshoe detectives of the noir genre.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Exxon operates some of the wells directly and holds a financial, non-operating interest in the others.—
Rachel Nostrant,
Houston Chronicle,
26 Jan. 2026
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Last year, though revenue and operating profit increased, non-operating red ink pushed the company into a full-year loss of NT$766 million, or $25 million.—
Russell Flannery,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The latest report shows how the adoption of heat pumps, and a greater share of more fuel-efficient and electric vehicles on the road, continues to drive down greenhouse gas emissions in the residential buildings and transportation sectors, according to officials.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
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Chakram’s highly efficient detonation process Unlike conventional rocket engines, which harness deflargration, RDREs leverage the rapid energy release of supersonic detonation waves that rotate around an engine’s circular body.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Beyond the question of criminal referrals, the commission’s report urged DHS to restrict certain ICE and Customs and Border Protection practices, including the use of chemical agents, physical force and vehicle pursuits during civil immigration enforcement.—
Olivia Olander,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
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Beginning in the late 1970s, it was occupied by actor, puppeteer, and voice artist Chuck McCann and his wife, William Morris agent Betty Fanning, who lived there for 45 years until their deaths in 2018 and early 2026, respectively.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Forensic investigators will determine whether the shooting was accidental, police said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
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Kemp said investigators suspect the Brantley County fire was sparked by an aluminum party balloon that touched live power lines, creating an electrical arc that sparked flames on the ground.—
Emilie Megnien,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Valerii’s first task each evening was to read the operational log.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The building was closed in the immediate aftermath, but the rest of the plant remained operational, and the tornado did not derail the production launch, the company said.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
One of the most effective ways to lower outrageous healthcare costs is to give employers access to their own health plan claims data.—
Jordan Bruneau,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Unlike Game 2, Boston’s role players were effective.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Operative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operative. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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