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
Amie Parnes, The Hill, 28 Aug. 2025
The operative argues there’s still a class of mega donors who are waiting to be won over.
—Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2025
Chris Willman, Variety, 15 Aug. 2025
The operative phrase, however, is in theory.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for operative
Noun
Democrats — from donors to operatives and other lawmakers — have taken notice.
—Amie Parnes, The Hill, 28 Aug. 2025
The operative argues there’s still a class of mega donors who are waiting to be won over.
—Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Suggested being the operative word.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 15 Aug. 2025
The operative phrase, however, is in theory.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for operative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operative
Noun
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The duo plays Emily and Matt, a married pair of ex-CIA spies forced out of retirement and back into the world of espionage after their secret identities are revealed.—
Jacqueline Weiss,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Cianfrance supplies a real jerk of a manager in Peter Dinklage’s Mitch, on whom Jeffrey spies by setting up baby monitors in the back office.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Anyone with information regarding the man’s death can contact homicide detectives at 816-234-5043 or the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
-
This time, police taped off the house and questioned Sutton-Schulman for two hours until a detective got a call from the hospital confirming that L had attempted suicide in the woods behind the house.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
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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
-
For a more comfortable, energy-efficient home, a number of upgrades are available too.—
Miles Walls,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Today, the most efficient way to earn that trust is to let AI amplify your story with an authentic touch.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Frantzve is a real estate agent with The Corcoran Group in New York City, according to her LinkedIn profile.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Staffing firms must help clients unbundle jobs into tasks and outcomes, then match them with the right blend of full-time employees, freelancers, or AI agents.—
John Winsor,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
After witnessing Nillo driving erratically after leaving the commissioner’s apartment building, investigators stopped her and seized the vehicle.—
Joey Flechas,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
-
This suspect has now been stopped in his tracks because of the diligent and tenacious work done by investigators at both the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Soldier feedback from the event is shaping ongoing enhancements to ensure warfighter readiness and operational relevance in dynamic threat environments, according to a press release.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
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Indeed, those leaders would be remiss not to seek AI operational efficiencies for the benefit of their shareholders.—
Michael Peregrine,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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How To Clean Linoleum Floors With Vinegar Vinegar is effective at cleaning floors and disinfecting them, but for more cleaning power, add a few squirts of dish soap to the mix, which works well at removing grease and grime from floors.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
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Alpine remains in a significant state of rebuild under Briatore, its effective boss.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Operative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operative. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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