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
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
Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
Pressure mounts from the publisher Walter Nash (Sweeney) and Senator Conrad (Doyle), a political operative attempting to steer the narrative toward fear, control, and propaganda.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
Essence, 7 Jan. 2026
Budanov, who has survived numerous assassination attempts, began his career as a special forces operative and served in the east after Russia illegally annexed Crimea and its proxies took over Ukraine’s eastern fringes.
—Reuters 6 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for operative
Noun
In part, that’s because the imperative to replace the Islamic Republic has become something close to a consensus across the Iranian opposition, and the regime’s operatives know it.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
Pressure mounts from the publisher Walter Nash (Sweeney) and Senator Conrad (Doyle), a political operative attempting to steer the narrative toward fear, control, and propaganda.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
In a deep plane breast consultation, there’s also no need for traditional intra-operative sizing, sitting the patient up, or even extensive adjustments.
—Essence, 7 Jan. 2026
Budanov, who has survived numerous assassination attempts, began his career as a special forces operative and served in the east after Russia illegally annexed Crimea and its proxies took over Ukraine’s eastern fringes.
—Reuters 6 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for operative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operative
Noun
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Israel’s strikes on Iran in June were preceded by a sophisticated infiltration by Israel’s Mossad spy agency, a tactic that heightened the already paranoid state of the Iranian regime.—
Farida Elsebai,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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The suit, which sought damages and the installation of a federal monitor at the NYPD, also alleged that ousted former Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey installed spies in Donlon’s office and that Adams’ NYPD brass thwarted internal misconduct investigations.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The lead detective investigating the murder of University of Miami football star Bryan Pata, testifying in court Tuesday, said cell phone records placed Pata’s former teammate near the Kendall murder scene and a UM professor picked him out of photo lineup.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
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She’s worked in the county in a variety of roles, like as a detective, a crime scene evidence technician and a field training officer.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Hyundai's three-row midsize SUV is more affordable and fuel-efficient than the Acadia.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
-
That would be an efficient and decisive outcome, but an unlikely one.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Generally, federal immigration agents are allowed in health care settings where other members of the public are permitted, like waiting rooms, but need a warrant to access private patient areas.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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The singer was honored alongside her majority female team, ranging from agents to tour managers.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The sheriff's office confirmed investigators are looking into investigative genetic genealogy, a relatively new forensic tool made possible by the rise in popularity of consumer genetic testing, where people can send their DNA to find out about their ancestry and locate potential relatives.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
22 Feb. 2026
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The defense attorney has told the judge that Dratman and Fischer failed to call up a witness who gave investigators an alibi for Serafini on the day his wife’s parents were shot.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Protecting critical cable infrastructure NKT has announced that the T3600 subsea trencher is scheduled to be commercially operational in 2027.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
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That often doesn’t include operational costs like packaging and transportation, which have risen in the last year.—
Vanessa Yurkevich,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In some cases, the companies’ internal documents raise questions about how effective or widely used those safety features are.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
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As gas and other utility bills in Massachusetts remain among the highest in the nation, state legislature has still taken no action to repeal the Gas System Improvement Plan, and has yet to implement any substantial or effective policies to combat soaring energy bills.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Operative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operative. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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