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
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Reporting showed political operatives with ties to FPL helped orchestrate the scheme.
—
Nate Monroe,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 June 2026
Chris Willman,
Variety,
17 May 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for operative
Noun
That same year, a Russian helicopter pilot who defected was killed in Spain, with Russian operatives as the prime suspects.
—
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Reporting showed political operatives with ties to FPL helped orchestrate the scheme.
—
Nate Monroe,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 June 2026
Adjective
Party is unapologetically the operative word for the ACMs, even down to the extent that many of the awards are being announced prior to airtime, to have few speeches on the show when that time could be used for music.
—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
17 May 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for operative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operative
Noun
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For now, a bipartisan housing bill and the renewal of a key spy program have become casualties of those standoffs, and their fate was in limbo as Senate Republicans left for the July 4 recess.
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Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman, known to fans of AppleTV series Slow Horses as the shambolic, gassy spy Jackson Lamb, will be honored at this year Edinburgh Television Festival with the fest’s lifetime achievement honor, the Golden Icon Award.
Noun
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Police said there were no signs of trauma or foul play and homicide detectives are investigating.
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On June 12, detectives secured an arrest warrant for Pollock on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, police said.
Adjective
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True, some if the upside surprise has come from non-operating gains on holdings in huge, private AI pioneers, but not all of it.
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Exxon operates some of the wells directly and holds a financial, non-operating interest in the others.
Adjective
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But radically different approaches to AI hardware are being pursued today that may prove to be orders of magnitude more power-efficient.
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Swimming is metabolically the least expensive (near-neutral buoyancy needs no energy to support bodies), flying costs more, and running is the least efficient mode of animal and human locomotion.
Noun
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But the fear of being snatched by ICE agents remains, Neel said.
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In all 11 host cities, federal agents are leading operations to keep drones away from match-day crowds.
Noun
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Police say Crash Team investigators responded and assumed control over the investigation.
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And schools that delay submitting transfer paperwork until the last minute thinking investigators will be too busy to spot an error don’t understand the process.
Adjective
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And commercial inventories have hit operational stress levels.
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These systems bring together process controls and operational know-how to help manage plant performance and lower project risks.
Adjective
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Generally, ozone nanobubbling is effective as a temporary solution for algae blooms.
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In 2018, the duo then linked up with Drake, who at the time reigned as commercial rap’s effective King Midas, giving the producer his first mainstream hit while officially ushering in the age of Tay Keith.
Cite this Entry
“Operative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operative. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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