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
Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 17 Jan. 2026
In 1977, Bea (Emilia Clarke) and Twila (Haley Lu Richardson) live in Moscow, working at the US Embassy while their husbands work as CIA operatives.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
Wyles Daniel, Freep.com, 25 Nov. 2025
Comey's lawyers seized on that admission, and argued during the hearing that the operative indictment was never presented to the grand jury and never voted on.
—Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for operative
Noun
Diaz-Canel was born after the 1959 Cuban Revolution and, although trained as a communist operative, never knew Fidel.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 17 Jan. 2026
In 1977, Bea (Emilia Clarke) and Twila (Haley Lu Richardson) live in Moscow, working at the US Embassy while their husbands work as CIA operatives.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
These packages typically include a medical consultation and hair analysis, the transplant procedure itself, hotel accommodation, airport and clinic transfers, and detailed post-operative care instructions with follow-up support.
—Wyles Daniel, Freep.com, 25 Nov. 2025
Comey's lawyers seized on that admission, and argued during the hearing that the operative indictment was never presented to the grand jury and never voted on.
—Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for operative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operative
Noun
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For the first time, Pixar hired an outside director, Brad Bird, who drew inspiration from spy films and comic books from the 1960s.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Jan. 2026
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Fans might recognize her from the streamer's spooky period drama 1899 (2022) or its hit spy thriller Black Doves (2024–present).—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Late on December 22, for example, mere hours after the shooting, detectives visited Barry and James, both of them still in the ER with conditions listed as critical, to record their official statements.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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Sheldon Williams was a city paramedic in the 1990s and also served as a police detective for 14 years and had been teaching recently at Pitt's emergency medicine program as well as consulting for the Department of Homeland Security and with FEMA.—
Chilekasi Adele,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
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
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The adjusted net income decreased by 8% y-o-y to $3.9 billion in the first nine months of 2022 due to higher expenses as a % of revenues and lower non-operating income.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes,
11 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
The logic is capital-efficient.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
One key tool is Triton, an open-source framework that helps developers write efficient AI code.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
At the time, Border Patrol agents were conducting enforcement operations in the area when civilians blew whistles and shouted, forcing authorities to tell the crowd to stay on the sidewalk in order to steer clear of law enforcement activity.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
After another pause, the agent in the black beanie raises his gun again, and five more shots are fired.—
Yahya Abou-Ghazala,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Applegate said investigators later found Facebook Messenger data showing the suspects discussing the plan.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
25 Jan. 2026
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Later, sources told CNN the Justice Department stopped investigating the agent and federal authorities refused to share information with local investigators.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The startup gains apparent capability but loses operational confidence.—
Abdo Riani,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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School administrators emphasized that the reopening represents months of coordination across agencies, contractors, educators, and local leaders to ensure the campus is safe, operational, and ready to welcome students home.—
Michelle Edgar,
Daily News,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
René Carayol, a leadership coach to Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 executives and world leaders, broke down what the most effective communicators did at this year’s World Economic Forum, in a conversation with CNBC.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
25 Jan. 2026
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If Congress wants to help consumers stuck in high-interest debt, there are far more effective tools than blunt caps.—
J.D. Hayworth,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Operative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operative. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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