An undercover operative infiltrated the organization.
Source: tatoeba (671670)
Operative
//ˈɒpəɹətɪv//
Synonyms for "operative" (163 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (33)
Strong matches (49)
Related words (81)
investigatorirresistiblelaborerlabourerlivelivingmachinistmakermanipulatormechanicmediummightymighty in battlemilitary-intelligence manmotivemovernarcnaval-intelligence manopenoperation
Show 51 more words
operatorperformerperpetratorpilotplainclothesmanpolice detectivepotentpowerfulpracticablepracticalpractitionerprepotentprime moverprivate eyeprivate investigatorproducerpuissantreconnoitererrevenuerroustaboutrulingrunnerrunningscoutsecret serviceserviceableshamussherlock holmessignificantsleuthspotterspyspy-catchersteersmanstore detectivestrikingstrongsubjectsurgicalt mant-mantellingtreasury agentundercover manusablevalidvigorousvitalworkhandworking manworkingman
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
2 entriesAntonyms
1 entriesSynonyms
9 entriesRelated terms
6 entriesderived
30 entriesShowing 16 of 30 words.
related to
16 entriessimilar
19 entriesShowing 16 of 19 words.
Translations
40 translations across 13 languages.
Bulgarian
3 entries- действащ adj (effectual)
- оперативен adj (based upon a surgical operation)
- работещ adj (functional)
Danish
4 entries- bærende adj (effectual)
- fungerende adj (functional)
- operativ adj (functional)
- vigtig adj (effectual)
Dutch
2 entries- werkzaam adj (effectual)
- werkzaam adj (functional)
Finnish
4 entries- operatiivinen adj (based upon a surgical operation)
- toimiva adj (functional)
- vaikuttava adj (effectual)
- toimija noun (participant in an operation)
French
3 entries- opératif adj (effectual)
- opératif adj (functional)
- opératoire adj (based upon a surgical operation)
Italian
3 entries- operativo adj (effectual)
- operativo adj (functional)
- operatorio adj (based upon a surgical operation)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- operativ adj (functional)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- operativ adj (functional)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- دركار adj (functional)
Portuguese
1 entries- operatório adj (based upon a surgical operation)
Russian
4 entries- де́йственный adj (effectual)
- де́йствующий adj (functional)
- рабо́тающий adj (functional)
- рабо́чий adj (functional)
Spanish
4 entries- operativo adj (effectual)
- operativo adj (functional)
- operatorio adj (effectual)
- operatorio adj (functional)
Yiddish
2 entries- אַגענט noun (participant in an operation)
- אַגענטקע noun (participant in an operation)
Sample sentences
10 total sentences available.
Sami was an undercover police operative.
Source: tatoeba (6717407)
In aggravated cases, when the patient is suffering pain, when his occupation is interfered with by repeated attacks of phlebitis, or when there are large pouches on the veins, operative treatment is called for.
Source: tatoeba (11647681)
He's usually in a good mood — the operative word there being "usually". Today was a disaster.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 10 available sentences.
Keep exploring
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.