operative 1 of 2

noun

Definition of operativenext
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

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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

operative

2 of 2

adjective

ˈä-p(ə-)rə-tiv How to pronounce operative (audio)
1
as in operating
being in effective operation the last operative bookbinder of its kind in the business

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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

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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
Noun
The vote had faced concerns of possible foreign interference after Canadian newspaper the Globe and Mail reported Republican operatives had assisted top separatist leaders with their independence bid. — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026 At a time when the regime is executing protesters on a daily basis, the killing of certain mid-ranking security and military operatives has been met with some satisfaction among segments of Iranian society. — Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Bernadette Peters will play Coco Van Beck, the aforementioned queen of San Francisco society who enlists private detective Julie (Estrada) and her operative Charles on the case. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026 Created by Paramount+’s premier storyteller, Taylor Sheridan, Lioness stars Zoe Saldaña as CIA senior officer Joe McNamara, the leader of the eponymous covert operative team. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for operative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operative
  1. spy
  2. detective
  3. operating
  4. efficient
  5. agent
  6. investigator
  7. operational
  8. effective
Noun
  • Directed by Grammy Award-winning filmmaker James Mackel, the visual is three-and-a-half minutes of spy stuff, our hero, dressed to impress, making short work of the many villains who lurk in her hotel.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control section, which prosecutes spies, is assisting the DOJ in the case.
    — Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of spy
Noun
  • While searching the area, two other detectives spotted the Chevy parked at Southwest 64th Court and 88th Street.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Larry Baimbridge spent thirty-one years with the Houston Police Department, including stints as a homicide detective and as commander of the SWAT team.
    — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of detective
Adjective
  • The Georgia park was closed on Tuesday for a pre-scheduled non-operating day, officials said.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • That sits on the books of the league’s 32 Equity investment arm, and 1/32 of any gains or losses in the entity flow through the Packers’ non-operating income.
    — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 24 July 2026
Definition of operating
Adjective
  • Electricity made every existing process a little more efficient, one machine at a time.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The service Sprightly staff members are friendly, trilingual, and super-efficient, delivering six-course meals with impressive promptness.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of efficient
Noun
  • According to Jáuregui’s defense team, the federal prosecutor’s office said the agents were close to the person who led the operation, the Chihuahua investigations chief who was one of two deceased Mexicans.
    — María Verza, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Even nicotine-free formulas contain flavorings and solvent agents like propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of agent
Noun
  • The decades-long search for answers in Amy’s case inspired the couple to help establish the nonprofit, which helps to fund unsolved homicide investigations, train investigators and support victims’ families.
    — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The footage showed the vehicles entering and exiting the site and allowed investigators to capture their vehicle identification numbers, which were forwarded to CBP, according to Earley.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of investigator
Adjective
  • In a June 2026 paper titled When AI Builds Itself, Anthropic warned that the recursive loop has moved from science fiction to operational reality faster than the company itself expected.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Commercial operations will begin once STUK completes its pending pre-operational inspection on a date yet to be determined.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of operational
Adjective
  • Forty-three percent of US adults say the federal government is effective at bettering people’s lives, down from 51% in 2025, according to a new Bentley University-Gallup survey.
    — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Their usefulness will depend on reliable navigation, robust fault responses and effective coordination between onboard systems.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of effective

Browse Nearby Words

operations
operative
operatives
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Cite this Entry

“Operative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operative. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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