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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of operative
Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
Some Republicans are also frustrated with the administration’s scattershot messaging, particularly around last year’s signature tax law, according to a GOP operative who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 7 May 2026
Zev Fima, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for operative
Noun
Former Mossad operative Gad Shimron told Fox News Digital that while the espionage efforts have caused damage, their impact appears tactical rather than strategic.
—Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
Some Republicans are also frustrated with the administration’s scattershot messaging, particularly around last year’s signature tax law, according to a GOP operative who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 7 May 2026
Adjective
But the operative word is delayed, not destroyed.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for operative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operative
Noun
-
Marrakchi, who has also directed episodes of such TV series as French spy thriller The Bureau and Damien Chazelle’s The Eddy, returns to Cannes’ Un Certain Regard program, where her 2005 feature debut Marock, about a Muslim-Jewish romance in Casablanca, also premiered.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
-
Cuban officials later confirmed the spy director's visit in an official statement.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Court records show Dial sued a former Parker Police Department detective over his 2022 arrest for tampering with evidence and being an accessory to murder.—
Brian Maass,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
-
The lawsuit claims that Santana was the lead detective assigned to the case, while Smith was the sergeant who supervised the investigative team.—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
12 May 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
-
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 debate came amid projections of declining gas tax revenue as more people adopt electric, hybrid and fuel-efficient cars.—
Claire Rush,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
File under efficient but uninspired.—
Jon O'Brien,
Vulture,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
The debate also reflected the broader political moment, with several candidates positioning themselves either as defenders of California’s current direction or as agents of course correction on public safety, cost of living, and trust in government.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
Though many people come to far West Texas for its isolation—the Unabomber’s slightly less reclusive brother did a stint here in the eighties, living at first in a crude underground shelter—Miller said that immigration-enforcement agents have been an intrusive presence for many years.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt told 6 ABC that investigators believe a group of friends, who included two boys and two girls, were hanging out at the home when the fatal shooting occurred.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
-
State police later spoke to Vargas’ mother who said their lawyer had advised them not to talk to investigators and would contact police on their behalf, according to the warrant affidavit.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
Israel was reportedly the first nation to use the F-35 in actual combat operations, demonstrating the aircraft’s operational readiness and effectiveness in modern warfare environments.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
-
That would be followed by an orbital free-flyer called Vortex-S, and the Vortex-C operational cargo transport vehicle with a total mass of about 8 to 9 metric tons.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
With several senior players experiencing prolonged dips in form, Mason Greenwood has again been Marseille’s most effective performer, scoring 26 goals in 44 matches across all competitions and being named in the Ligue 1 team of the season.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Cultural understanding and linguistic responsiveness are essential components of effective treatment.—
Maria Bledsoe,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Operative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operative. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
