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
John Seiler, Oc Register, 29 May 2026
Armed with an adventure kit, participants are summoned to a secret location where they’re tasked with deciphering cryptic codes, uncovering hidden symbols, navigating shifting alliances and outwit enemies and operatives stationed around the campus.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2026
Cathrin Schaer, Footwear News, 6 May 2026
From 2021 to 2023, about two-thirds of adults over 65 had hypertension, according to the operative definition at the time.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for operative
Noun
Democratic operatives are well aware of that.
—John Seiler, Oc Register, 29 May 2026
Armed with an adventure kit, participants are summoned to a secret location where they’re tasked with deciphering cryptic codes, uncovering hidden symbols, navigating shifting alliances and outwit enemies and operatives stationed around the campus.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2026
Adjective
But the company is also opening a new fulfilment center in Giessen, in western Germany, which should be fully operative by the end of 2027.
—Cathrin Schaer, Footwear News, 6 May 2026
From 2021 to 2023, about two-thirds of adults over 65 had hypertension, according to the operative definition at the time.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for operative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operative
Noun
-
Epstein had done some of his own detective work by purchasing a spy camera to catch the culprit, who turned out to be a former butler.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
-
The Five Eyes intelligence alliance warned that China was using LinkedIn and other social media platforms to recruit spies.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Applegate refused to leave until police officers arrived, according to the detective, a threat management expert.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
2 June 2026
-
Flim-flam men and demonic detectives to the front.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
True, some if the upside surprise has come from non-operating gains on holdings in huge, private AI pioneers, but not all of it.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
-
Exxon operates some of the wells directly and holds a financial, non-operating interest in the others.—
Rachel Nostrant,
Houston Chronicle,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
With these gestures, Kokopeli pointed to technological manipulation, appropriation, and seriality as stock techniques drawn from the repertoire of contemporary art in the interest of efficient production.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
The service, though less than efficient, is delivered with unfailing Midwestern goodwill; rooms are spartan but have pampering touches such as heated bathroom floors and beds as soft as ermine.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The real payoff is in watching Jackie, along with the actress playing her, slowly molt out of brand protection mode, and the always likable Goldstein is content to accept his role as a mere agent of that change.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
4 June 2026
-
Epstein told them to wait, walked over to the agents himself, and returned ten minutes later.—
James Hill,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
In response, the state decided to hire outside investigators to review some of these complaints.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
The suspect was identified by police as 21-year-old Trevon Williams, also an Arizona resident, who investigators said met the victim outside the rental.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
But building much larger vessels — the Defiant class is intended to displace roughly 30,000 to 40,000 tons — would only inflate costs and create fatter targets, without offering dramatically new operational capacity.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
The entire Starship program, however, is far behind schedule, with 12 launches of the rocket in the past three years—some successful, some not, none qualifying the giant machine as anywhere close to operational.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Methane is around 80 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
While the team at Oxford works to find out if its new vaccine will be effective against the Bundibugyo strain, WHO is reportedly considering using Merck’s Ebola vaccine, called Ervebo, to treat patients.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Operative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operative. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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