OPERATIVE Synonyms: 172 Similar and Opposite Words

operative 1 of 2

noun

Definition of operative

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

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

operative

2 of 2

adjective

ˈä-p(ə-)rə-tiv

as in operating

being in effective operation the last operative bookbinder of its kind in the business

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of operative

Noun

Unbeknownst to him, the bottle contained the same nerve agent investigators believe Russian operatives had used three months earlier to poison a former spy in nearby Salisbury. — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 11 July 2026 Still, at least one campaign operative — who is listed in FEC records — was able to trade on a race they were involved in, despite Kalshi's new monitoring program. — Luke Garrett, NPR, 9 July 2026

Adjective

Every demonstration of the truth that God’s law is ever operative is significant. — Tony Lobl, Christian Science Monitor, 7 July 2026 Helms-Burton is, three decades after its enactment, fully operative against both categories of defendants, at least where Cuban entities are concerned. — Manuel A. Gómez, The Conversation, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for operative

Recent Examples of Synonyms for operative

Noun

During the first season of the Paramount+ spy thriller, the 34-year-old actress’ character, Cruz Manuelos, was mostly undercover.

— Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026
Here’s a fish-out-of-water rom-com wedged into, um, a spy thriller about aliens in New Mexico.

— EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of spy

Noun

The detectives' interviews from the first Internal Affairs case were used against them in their own cases.

— Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
Her large flat-screen living room television was missing, leading detectives at the time to surmise the killer may have known that footage from the victim’s surveillance cameras could be watched on that TV.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of detective

Adjective

That sits on the books of the league’s 32 Equity investment arm, and 1/32 of any gains or losses in the entity flow through the Packers’ non-operating income.

— Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 24 July 2026
True, some if the upside surprise has come from non-operating gains on holdings in huge, private AI pioneers, but not all of it.

— Michael Santoli, CNBC, 2 June 2026

Definition of operating

Adjective

Yet, the activity is orderly, efficient and overwhelmingly positive, the players almost solely concerned with the collective whole.

— Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 30 July 2026
That same efficient localization impacts flexibility, however, and becomes costly when exogenous shocks hit businesses.

— Yasushi Sasaki, Fortune, 30 July 2026

Definition of efficient

Noun

Hiring has cooled for entry-level software developers — work increasingly done by AI agents — and college enrollment in computer and information science programs has been declining.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Smaller teams of high-agency engineers and builders are managing fleets of agents rather than executing every task by hand.

— Michael Wee, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of agent

Noun

Nanos said on Saturday the investigation remains active as labs across the country continue to analyze DNA, videos and photos, while investigators look into the thousands of tips that continue to come in.

— Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 1 Aug. 2026
Darby Township Police Chief Michael Sousa told Fox News Digital investigators believe two men got into a verbal altercation in the self-checkout area before one of them pulled out a handgun and fired.

— Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of investigator

Adjective

As airlines promote their eco-friendly initiatives this summer, experts advise looking past the marketing to find companies making genuine operational changes.

— Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
With characterization finished, GRETA is entering its regular operational phase as a primary instrument for FRIB users.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of operational

Adjective

Nearly a decade ago, a city task force spurned proposals to ease those restrictions to foster housing development north of Fifth along Washington, said Mooney, who is retiring from the city effective July 31.

— Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
To what extent should the effective use of AI in the application process be applauded?

— Cami Fateh, Vogue, 22 July 2026

Definition of effective

Browse Nearby Words

operations

operative

operatives

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Operative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/operative. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of operative

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on operative

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

élan

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes