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
Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 1 Apr. 2025
Republican operatives in the Sunshine State fear a congressional special election race in a deep-red district could be closer than expected, which could inadvertently be seen as a referendum on President Donald Trump’s record ahead of the midterm elections in 2026.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2025
Allison Morrow, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025
The operative word is slightly; don’t digress into the weeds.
—Jerry Weissman, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for operative
Noun
Emanuel is seen as a high-energy operative who’s used colorful and profane language.
—Lauren Irwin, The Hill, 1 Apr. 2025
Republican operatives in the Sunshine State fear a congressional special election race in a deep-red district could be closer than expected, which could inadvertently be seen as a referendum on President Donald Trump’s record ahead of the midterm elections in 2026.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Above all, efficiency — that is the operative word that will help transform the federal government from a hulking, bloated bureaucracy into a nimble machine, like swapping a 1995 Compaq desktop PC for a 2025 MacBook Pro.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025
The operative word is slightly; don’t digress into the weeds.
—Jerry Weissman, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for operative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operative
Noun
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Elon Musk visited the CIA headquarters on Monday for talks on government efficiency, the spy agency director of public affairs Liz Lyons told Axios.—
Barak Ravid,
Axios,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Chilean writer-director Felipe Gálvez, whose debut feature The Settlers premiered in Cannes in 2023, has set his second feature film as Impunity, a spy thriller set in the late 1990s around the arrest of dictator Augusto Pinochet.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Rescuers pulled them from the rubble around 5:45 a.m. on April 3 and rushed them to the hospital for treatment for severe burns, Southgate police detective Sgt.—
Kate Linderman,
Kansas City Star,
3 Apr. 2025
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The Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office declined to bring charges after speaking with CMPD detectives, the department said.—
Jeff A. Chamer,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Apr. 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
-
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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This Duke team is the second-most efficient the sport has seen since Ken Pomeroy started tracking efficiency in the 1996-97 season.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
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Illinois residents deserve a more efficient and effective governmental system than the current chaotic mix of unaccountable jurisdictions.—
David Greising,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Despite still not having an agent, Marshall had her managers secure her a script and even cut the reel for her self-tape herself.—
Ronda Racha Penrice,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Apr. 2025
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The defense pointed to several potential suspects at the home at the time, including Albert, his nephew and their friend, an agent for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives who had been exchanging flirty text messages with Read.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The IP address and phone number associated with the files belonged to Green, investigators said.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2025
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The investigator observed Wright with a 16-year-old girl, according to federal officials.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Third, operational command of Kamikaze planes is difficult because results cannot be evaluated with any accuracy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
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The residence also had no running water and no operational bathroom facilities, the department added.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Surgery is rarely necessary, and conservative treatments like physical therapy are highly effective.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
5 Apr. 2025
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These scams are effective because the codes cannot be read by people, meaning the consumers who scan the codes cannot where they are being taken to.—
David G.W. Birch,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Operative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operative. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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