operative

noun

: operator: such as

a

: artisan, mechanic

b

: a secret agent

c

: private investigator

d

: a person who works toward achieving the objectives of a larger interest

political operatives

Synonyms of operative

• spy
• agent

Examples of operative in a Sentence

CIA operatives take terrible risks to find out the secrets of foreign countries.

set in the 1930s, the novel is about a washed-out operative working for a third-rate detective agency

Recent Examples on the Web

After negotiations that lasted nearly nine hours, Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a ceasefire, contingent on a cessation of Hezbollah fire and the removal of Hezbollah operatives from southern Lebanon. —Helen Regan, CNN Money, 4 June 2026

Navalny tells the story of Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition leader whose poisoning by Putin operatives in August 2020 nearly killed him. —James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026

While Ono faced the public just days after being named UF’s preferred candidate, Bell has spent more than two weeks under the microscope as conservative activists, bloggers and political operatives sifted through his decade-long record in Alabama searching for evidence of ideological heresy. —Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 3 June 2026

Or its operatives spend weeks getting a segment ready for air, and get to do more immersive reporting and exhaustive research that other news outlets would simply not allow, particularly in an era dominated by streaming and social media. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

derivative of operative entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1810, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for operative

• inoperative
• postoperative
• preoperative
• perioperative
• uncooperative

Kids Definition

operative

1 of 2 adjective

op·​er·​a·​tive ˈäp-(ə-)rət-iv 

ˈäp-ə-ˌrāt-

1

: producing a normal or desired effect

2

: being in operation

operative

2 of 2 noun

1

: operator sense 1

2

a

: a secret agent : spy

b

: detective entry 2

Medical Definition

operative

adjective

op·​er·​a·​tive ˈäp-(ə-)rət-iv  ˈäp-ə-ˌrāt- 

: of, relating to, involving, or resulting from an operation

operative treatment

operative mortality rates