operative

1. ADJ A system or service that is operative is working or having an effect. (系統、服務) 起作用的[正式]

The commercial telephone service was no longer operative. 商業電話服務不起作用了。

2. N-COUNT An operative is a worker, especially one who does work with their hands. 技工[正式]

In an automated car plant there is not a human operative to be seen. 在全自動汽車制造廠，一個工人也看不到。

3. N-COUNT An operative is someone who works for a government agency such as the intelligence service. 特工人員[美國英語]

Naturally the CIA wants to protect its operatives. 中央情報侷儅然想保護自己的特工人員。

4. PHRASE If you describe a word as the operative word, you want to draw attention to it because you think it is important or exactly true in a particular situation. 關鍵詞

As long as the operative word is "greed," you can't count on people keeping the costs down. 衹要關鍵詞是“貪婪”，你就不能指望人們降低開銷。