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
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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
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of operative
Mike Lillis, The Hill, 4 Nov. 2024
In 2020, Michigan's attorney general used that reasoning to arraign two political operatives on felony charges connected to robo calls.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 2 Nov. 2024
Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
As enablers of advancement in fintech, regtech empowers institutions and regulatory bodies to ease their operative activities regarding regulatory compliance.
—Khurram Akhtar, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for operative 
Noun
But Golden and Theriault are the only two candidates on the ballot this year, leading campaign operatives to believe the outcome will be known before voters go to sleep.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 4 Nov. 2024
In 2020, Michigan's attorney general used that reasoning to arraign two political operatives on felony charges connected to robo calls.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Yet this brief text—plus its still operative amendments, another 3,112 words—underwrites our entire system of government.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
As enablers of advancement in fintech, regtech empowers institutions and regulatory bodies to ease their operative activities regarding regulatory compliance.
—Khurram Akhtar, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for operative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for operative
Noun
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Iranian officials told Newsweek that their intelligence services would be more likely to recruit non-Muslim individuals without links to Iran as Israeli officials accuse the Islamic Republic of cultivating spy rings in anticipation of future attacks.David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
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The series will be produced by Charman’s own production company Binocular Productions, which was the company behind Netflix spy series Treason.Peter White, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
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In 2010, cold case detectives recovered additional items and sent them for DNA testing, leading to the DNA profile of a male suspect.Alaa Elassar, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
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Police said no suspects were in custody and that area detectives were investigating the shooting.Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2024
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
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Sweeter tomatoes may one day offer more efficient produce options for manufacturers.Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
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Surprisingly, two of the three rats chose to take the less efficient path of turning away from the reward and running to the car to drive to their Froot Loop destination.Kelly Lambert, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Owens is alleged to have accepted $125,000 in cash from one of the agents on the yacht, according to the indictment.Bracey Harris, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
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The Diplomat’s shorter second season is still consumed by the mystery of who’s behind the attacks that kicked off season one (the naval explosion that killed dozens of British sailors) and provided its cliffhanger (a car bomb resulting in the deaths of an American agent and a British MP).Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The lieutenant also said investigators have taken statements from the dozens of witnesses who were in the area, and are also gathering video surveillance.NBC San Diego, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
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Mike Morgan, director of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, said Thursday that investigators were leaning toward ruling the start of the fire as human-caused.Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Key to this work reimagining the district is taking a hard look at our staffing structure and operational costs.Kyla Johnson-Trammell, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
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Israel killed or imprisoned Palestinian commanders, along with thousands of civilians, leaving Palestinian operational units leaderless and uncoordinated.Sarah E. Parkinson, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The company maintains a tax holiday for a subsidiary in the APAC region, which contributed to a lower effective tax rate of 13.7% for the year.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 15 Nov. 2024
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While air purifiers are effective, combining them with other strategies can enhance odor elimination.Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near operative
Cite this Entry
“Operative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operative. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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