operative
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.
A U.S. special-forces operative has been charged with using classified information to reap more than $400,000 from bets on the ouster of Venezuela’s president.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026
The report said Fluor was negligent in hiring an Afghan who had been a Taliban operative, and it failed to closely supervise him.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
This is not Madman Theory, but the operative word here—the word that doesn’t fit—is theory.
From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026
A longtime political operative, Wiles played a key role in Trump's political comeback and shepherded his 2024 campaign to victory.
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026
White sent Hoover a memo reporting that an undercover operative was on Hale’s ranch that very moment, spying.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Vocabulary lists containing operative
100 SAT words Beginning with "O"
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Intelligence leaks
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Lincoln's Grave Robbers
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