operative
noun
a person engaged, employed, or skilled in some branch of work, especially productive or industrial work; worker.
operatives
-
pluralof operative.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Iran has seen a huge brain drain since the 1990s, and the caliber of its operatives has slipped.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
They asked their supervisors to approve a new investigation and contemplated using undercover operatives to gather more evidence.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
Nineteen Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked four planes on that nearly cloudless day in 2001.
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
Malkovich and Sam Rockwell play veteran CIA operatives who, after helping destabilize Salvador Allende’s government in 1973 Chile, head to Easter Island on a more personal assignment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
She tried to wait, but the crowd of chattering operatives pushed her forward.
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
