operative

American  

[op-er-uh-tiv, op-ruh-tiv, op-uh-rey-tiv] / ˈɒp ər ə tɪv, ˈɒp rə tɪv, ˈɒp əˌreɪ tɪv /

noun

• operatives
  plural

1. a person engaged, employed, or skilled in some branch of work, especially productive or industrial work; worker.

   Synonyms:

   workman

2. a detective.

   Synonyms:

   agent, investigator

3. a secret agent; spy.

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adjective

1. operating, or exerting force, power, or influence.

2. having force; being in effect or operation.

   laws operative in this city.

3. effective or efficacious.

   Synonyms:

   serviceable, effectual

4. engaged in, concerned with, or pertaining to work or productive activity.

5. significant; key.

   The operative word in that sentence is “sometimes.”

6. Medicine/Medical. concerned with, involving, or pertaining to surgical operations.

operative British  

/ ˈɒpərətɪv /

adjective

1. in force, effect, or operation

2. exerting force or influence

3. producing a desired effect; significant

   the operative word

4. of or relating to a surgical procedure

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noun

1. a worker, esp one with a special skill

2. a private detective

Usage

What does operative mean? An operative is a person who is employed in or is skilled in a certain branch of work. Operative is generally used to mean a worker, but in some industries, an operative is specifically a representative or a manager. In the fields of espionage and tactics, an operative is almost always a spy or agent working secretly for an organization. Operative also means detective when used in reference to the police force or private investigation teams. As an adjective, operative often means exerting power or influence. Something that is operative is binding or in effect, such as operative laws or an operative organization that establishes rules. In medicine, operative describes something related to a surgical operation. Operative pain, for example, is pain that occurs from having an operation. Example: A public relations operative informed us that there is an emerging crisis.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interoperative
  noun
• operativeness
  noun
• operativity
  noun
• nonoperative
  adjective
• unoperative
  adjective
• operatively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• operatives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of operative

1590–1600; < Middle French operatif < Latin operāt ( us ) ( see operate) + Middle French -if -ive

Explanation

Bond, James Bond, is perhaps the most famous fictional operative of our time. Martini-drinking, globe-trotting, and womanizing aside, let us not forget his primary role as a government secret agent — collecting intelligence and bringing down the world's enemies. As a noun, operative is often used as a synonym for spy. It can also, less covertly, be used to name a skilled worker, as in "No one aligns gears better than Joe, an operative at the car factory." As an adjective, operative can mean that something is working, as in "an operative car alarm." Finally, operative can mean "the most important or effective word." James Bond is a fictional operative, and the operative word in that statement is fictional.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

operative operatives

Some became incredible investments later, the operative word being “later.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

Like any political operative, he had his share of defeats.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

The longtime CIA operative had exfiltrated the families of spies from the most repressive of Middle Eastern regimes and tattooed the word “ARGONAUT,” an homage to seafaring heroes from Greek mythology, across his right forearm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

“It’s certainly preferable to give all Americans the choice to invest in fast-growing tech companies, but choice is the operative word.”

From Slate ● Jun. 15, 2026

One operative he met in Canada gave Booth letters of introduction vouching for the actor’s devotion to the Confederacy and requesting aid for him.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

The Israeli operatives loaded Al-Arabid wounded but alive into a van that sped him across the border into Israel for interrogation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Two alleged Libyan intelligence operatives -- Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah -- were charged with the bombing and tried by a Scottish court in the Netherlands.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

Thousands of North Korean operatives are using fake and stolen identities to land remote jobs at U.S. companies—funneling hundreds of millions of dollars back to the regime.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

The Daily Telegraph says Iran has been sending suspected covert operatives across the Channel after individuals with links to Tehran's intelligence agencies were intercepted by UK authorities on small boats.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

The Agency was still smaller than its Russian counterpart, and its agents had to train hard to learn the techniques of spycraft—which Soviet operatives had been mastering for decades.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Related Words

• operational
• usable