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
Ew Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 June 2026
Giddy House Republican operatives vowed to weaponize Mamdani and his slate to undercut the Democratic brand in competitive midterm elections across the country, while other Republican officials warned their party to pay attention to this pivotal moment in the nation's politics.
—
ABC News,
25 June 2026
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
This debate would be a story ripe for Washington/New York/San Francisco media, and an incredible boondoggle for the political operative classes to tap the biggest and most desperate budgets in the history of the world.
—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for operative
Noun
There’s a whole different kind of stress, too, as political operatives start getting rattled by the cops’ investigation into political contributions, and threaten to shut them down.
—
Ew Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 June 2026
Giddy House Republican operatives vowed to weaponize Mamdani and his slate to undercut the Democratic brand in competitive midterm elections across the country, while other Republican officials warned their party to pay attention to this pivotal moment in the nation's politics.
—
ABC News,
25 June 2026
Adjective
Post-operative care is provided with a special kit containing shampoos, lotions, and medical products, and the clinic maintains high hygiene standards by sanitizing procedure rooms through ultraviolet technology.
—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
This debate would be a story ripe for Washington/New York/San Francisco media, and an incredible boondoggle for the political operative classes to tap the biggest and most desperate budgets in the history of the world.
—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for operative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operative
Noun
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Russia is essentially trying to build a closed, spy-friendly, domestic version of the Internet.
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Brown and Harbour are set to star in and executive produce an upcoming spy drama show from A24 that has received a straight-to-series order at Netflix.
Noun
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My dad, a police detective, made sure the Klansman saw his service revolver on his waist.
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Police ask any witnesses who were not contacted by authorities at the scene to contact detectives at (805) 654-9511.
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 the Idaho side never found the back of the net again while Knoxville proved lethally efficient with its limited opportunities.
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One of the greatest changes is that the second-gen model has a hybrid powertrain option for drivers who want an efficient midsize hybrid SUV.
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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Hinds County’s chief death investigator, Jeramiah Howard, attributed her death to the heat.
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Carla Walker cold case The 1974 murder of 17-year-old Carla Walker in Fort Worth, Texas, went unsolved for more than four decades before advanced DNA testing helped investigators identify her killer.
Adjective
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Adding to this context, engineering manager Roel Verhoeven noted that the primary hurdle for commercial fusion is ensuring that plants can actually be serviced throughout their operational lifespans.
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North Korea first unveiled the Choe Hyon in April 2025, which Kim portrayed as a major step toward expanding his military’s operational reach and preemptive strike capabilities.
Adjective
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Her colleague Maria Amato adds a harder constraint — the most effective leadership development happens on the job, inside the relationships management layers exist to create.
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How to prevent the spread of rabies Avoiding contact with wildlife remains the most effective way to prevent rabies transmission, according to the CDC.
Cite this Entry
“Operative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operative. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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