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operative

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


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.

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

From MarketWatch Aug. 3, 2026

An operative wanted to know if Portnoy, a voice of the everyman, wanted to engage.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 27, 2026

He plays Martian, a veteran CIA operative whose years undercover have left their mark.

From BBC Jun. 20, 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 day that September, the undercover operative who was pretending to be an insurance salesman stopped at a filling station in Fairfax and struck up a conversation with a woman working there.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Several similar operatives had been detained so far this year, he said, including one person from Kazakhstan.

From BBC Aug. 21, 2026

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 latest incident placed the welfare and safety of operatives at risk so the decision was taken to pause operations," said UK Highways A55 Ltd.

From BBC Jul. 29, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 25, 2026

William Harvey was an "American James Bond," in the words of Edward Lansdale—himself one of the most storied CIA operatives of the Cold War.

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




Vocabulary lists containing operative


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