Operative
Operative adjective - Producing or capable of producing a desired result.
Usage example: unfortunately, the operative amount of the medication and the lethal amount were too close for it to be used safely
Skilled and operative are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Skilled" instead an adjective "Operative".
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
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The Operative in Serenity carries a gun and is skilled in its use, but prefers martial arts and swordsmanship instead, considering them more honorable.
Source: Doesn't Like Guns -
He's a former MI-5 operative, skilled in torture techniques, and has absolutely no qualms about shooting people dead.
Source: Battle Butler -
He's a skilled, ruthless, cheerfully sadistic operative who's obviously quite a few bananas short of a bunch.
Source: Psychopathic Manchild
Cite this Source
Skilled and Operative. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/operative/skilled
Operative & Skilled. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/operative/skilled>.
Skilled or Operative. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/operative/skilled.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "operative" and "skilled" have occurred on timeline