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
Emily Chang, ABC News, 23 May 2025
Alas, before Kevin could say much more than Forefront (the terrorist group Jubal dealt with at midseason) was planning an attack on the FBI office, Forefront operatives stormed the building, guns a-blazing.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 20 May 2025
Ruth Peltason, Air Mail, 12 Apr. 2025
But then-Chief Justice Roger Taney deemed the move unlawful, noting the operative clause is found in Article I of the Constitution, which itemizes Congress' powers, not the president's.
—Kelsey Walsh, ABC News, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for operative
Noun
The former political operative is widely seen as a moderate.
—Emily Chang, ABC News, 23 May 2025
Alas, before Kevin could say much more than Forefront (the terrorist group Jubal dealt with at midseason) was planning an attack on the FBI office, Forefront operatives stormed the building, guns a-blazing.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 20 May 2025
Adjective
Indeed, secrets is the operative word, applied not only to these gifted designers but to the Petit Palais, whose collection of some 5,600 jewelry sketches and gouache renderings is barely known, even to specialists.
—Ruth Peltason, Air Mail, 12 Apr. 2025
But then-Chief Justice Roger Taney deemed the move unlawful, noting the operative clause is found in Article I of the Constitution, which itemizes Congress' powers, not the president's.
—Kelsey Walsh, ABC News, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for operative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operative
Noun
-
North Korea has repeatedly failed to launch military spy satellites.—
Choe Sang-Hun,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
-
This was a real group of spies that pretended to be Southern and infiltrated the South and became friends and colleagues.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 May 2025
Noun
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While genre fiction steadily advances onto bestseller lists, realism soldiers on, amid cyborgs and dragons and boozy detectives.—
Hamilton Cain,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2025
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Last week, prosecutors called their final witness, the Chicago police detective who was the lead investigator in the case.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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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
-
The company discontinued the 5.7-liter engine amid tightening fuel economy regulations and a companywide push toward electric vehicles and more efficient engines last year under ex-Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares.—
Michael Wayland,
CNBC,
5 June 2025
-
These coverage losses were avoidable with better, more efficient communication.—
Lisa Fitzpatrick,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Noun
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Then in September, a Secret Service agent spotted the muzzle of a rifle sticking out of a fence in bushes at Trump's West Palm Beach golf club while scouting the course ahead of Trump.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
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The writer’s death on June 3 was confirmed by his husband, Michael Carroll, and agent Bill Clegg, The New York Times, The Guardian and NBC News report.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Though Watkins had first been ruled out as a suspect in the killing of 20-year-old Isaac Dawkins, who was shot in the head while driving on a highway in Rome in 2000, he was pursued by Floyd County police and investigators with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, according to his complaint.—
Julia Marnin,
Miami Herald,
5 June 2025
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Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office investigators are working to determine how the child ended up in the water, according to the statement.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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This facility, which will be fully operational later in 2025, was constructed with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the wider SCAPES project.—
Matthew Sturchio,
The Conversation,
30 May 2025
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Duties include developing and executing operational analysis strategies, along with leading modeling and wargaming efforts.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective against measles.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN Money,
4 June 2025
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Instead, the revolutionaries relied on more subtle but equally effective means: publicly humiliating prominent loyalists and destroying their stature in the local community.—
Greg Daugherty,
Smithsonian Magazine,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Operative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operative. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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