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

A former operative recounts her time in the world of left-wing political consulting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

The Israeli military said it had struck a Hamas operative and was aware of claims that uninvolved individuals were killed in the strike.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

She had been unmasked as a CIA operative, thereby rendering her useless as an undercover agent in the Soviet Union.

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

Thousands of North Korean operatives are using fake and stolen identities to land remote jobs at U.S. companies—and help fund Kim Jong Un’s 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

Russian and North Korean cyber operatives are already collaborating on malware, cybersecurity experts say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Details of Tuesday's arrest remain sketchy, but police confirmed operatives from its Force Intelligence Department and Intelligence Response Team were involved.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

Of the sixty-three reporters who filed into the small auditorium for Stavros Sinclair’s press conference, more than thirty were actually operatives working for various intelligence agencies around the world.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Related Words

• operational
• usable