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
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Recent Examples of operative
Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 25 June 2025
In 2022, Zhu was recruited to help Li’s other operatives set up businesses and bank accounts near Los Angeles in exchange for $70,000.
—Cezary Podkul, ProPublica, 25 June 2025
EW.com, 21 June 2025
Breast cancer patients who undergo post operative hormonal blockers can be thrown really quickly into intense hot flashes, according to Dr. Lang.
—Chloe Castleberry, Flow Space, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for operative
Noun
Last year, federal authorities charged three Iranian operatives with trying to hack Trump’s presidential campaign.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 25 June 2025
In 2022, Zhu was recruited to help Li’s other operatives set up businesses and bank accounts near Los Angeles in exchange for $70,000.
—Cezary Podkul, ProPublica, 25 June 2025
Adjective
Fresh off her Oscar win for 2001's Monster's Ball, Halle Berry's next step was to join the James Bond franchise in 2002's Die Another Day as NSA operative Jinx.
—EW.com, 21 June 2025
Breast cancer patients who undergo post operative hormonal blockers can be thrown really quickly into intense hot flashes, according to Dr. Lang.
—Chloe Castleberry, Flow Space, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for operative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operative
Noun
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For those who don't know, Area 51 is a large, secretive military base in the remote Nevada desert where several exotic military aircraft have been developed and tested over the years, including the venerable U-2 spy plane way back when.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
-
Israel’s spy service conducted elaborate sabotage operations on Iranian soil.—
Nabih Bulos
Foreign Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
5 July 2025
Noun
-
The victim’s relatives showed detectives a photo of Ackerman and the victim in the same area the victim’s body had been located, according to an affidavit.—
Caroline Zimmerman
July 7,
Kansas City Star,
8 July 2025
-
Meanwhile, back at the Marine Mammal Care Center, the scientific detective work is about to begin.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
Under Proposition 309, voters casting mail-in ballots could provide a driver's license or non-operating identification license number, the last four digits of a social security number, or a unique identifying number provided by the secretary of state for voter registration purposes.—
Arlyssa D. Becenti,
The Arizona Republic,
27 Oct. 2022
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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
-
In some ways, the purpose seems obvious — an efficient way to refine your hand-eye coordination before a big match, like Alcaraz’s showdown with American Taylor Fritz on Friday in the Wimbledon men’s semifinals.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
-
Organizations that focus on integrating their systems may see faster, more efficient reporting, centralized information management and a comprehensive view of progress toward goals.—
Cynthia Tee,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Those statements prompted the agents to acquire a warrant and arrest the couple the following day.—
Jimmy Jenkins,
AZCentral.com,
10 July 2025
-
The premium Grok 4 Heavy tier employs multiple parallel AI agents that debate solutions collaboratively to boost complex problem-solving.—
Gerui Wang,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
But in Hartig’s formal response posted to the body’s website on Wednesday, July 9, Hartig revealed her own bevy of concerns with judicial investigators and county prosecutors alike.—
Darcie Moran,
Freep.com,
11 July 2025
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In its lawsuit, the agency’s investigators said Frost’s company, First Liberty Building and Loan, lied to investors about lending high-interest loans to small firms.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Consider traveling with a compact Starlink Mini, as satellite internet often remains operational even when other internet services are down.—
Skye Sherman,
Travel + Leisure,
15 July 2025
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Cook, 64, has been Apple’s CEO for nearly 14 years and is widely respected for his operational acumen.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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But incentives must also support long-term habit formation to be truly effective.—
Rowan Briggs,
Mercury News,
10 July 2025
-
According to the team, this research indicates that ghost crabs are effective predators of the early life phase of sea turtles with a taste for meat.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Operative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operative. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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