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.
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Recent Examples of operative
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 9 June 2026
Cases filed in Lebanon’s military court describe operatives being paid between $2,500 and $20,000 to provide intelligence on Hezbollah weapons depots and political offices.
—ABC News, 9 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
Al Pacino plays a CIA operative orchestrating a covert plan to eliminate the Cuban revolutionary.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 9 June 2026
Cases filed in Lebanon’s military court describe operatives being paid between $2,500 and $20,000 to provide intelligence on Hezbollah weapons depots and political offices.
—ABC News, 9 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
-
Big tech and corporate spies Grady’s stewardship of state money has been questioned in the past.—
Shirsho Dasgupta,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
-
To get into 1970s Moscow spy mode as Twila, Richardson joined forces on a thrifting expedition with costume designer Anastasia Magoutas.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Authorities asked anyone with information about Moore's whereabouts to contact detectives at 803-358-7271 or Midlands Crimestoppers.—
Stephen Sorace , Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
-
Inbred eccentrics and bumbling detectives have populated the seaside villages of Bruno Dumont’s absurdist comedies.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
16 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
-
Ryne Nelson scattered nine hits over seven efficient innings, while closer Paul Sewald survived Donovan Walton’s two-out homer in the ninth to lock down his 18th save in 19 chances.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
-
As in practically every white-collar occupation, lawyers are embracing AI to make their practices more efficient and effective, and many lawyers use ChatGPT to do some types of legal work.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Matt Chapman signed his extension before Posey took over, but his first big move was bringing in free-agent shortstop Willy Adames.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
-
To fix this, the team altered the fabrication process and introduced an in situ crosslinking agent directly into the polymer film during its formation.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
In the video recorded at the Elliot Key Marina shortly after the collision, Pino can be seen telling the investigator that his attention was split immediately before the accident.—
Ana Maria Soler,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
-
The Police Department in Friday’s post said the arrest by its Major Collisions Unit followed an investigation by responding officers, detectives and crime scene investigators that involved a four-hour neighborhood canvass.—
Michael McGough,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
And commercial inventories have hit operational stress levels.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
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These systems bring together process controls and operational know-how to help manage plant performance and lower project risks.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Lavender, basil, catnip, mint, garlic, lemon balm, and citronella plants are all effective.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
13 June 2026
-
Green coffee extract and caffeine work together to target dark circles and puffiness, making this especially effective for under-eye concealing.—
Jailynn Taylor,
Allure,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Operative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operative. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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