- (specialist)
a worker, especially one who works with their hands 工作人员；（尤指）技术工人，操作员 a factory operative 工厂工人 skilled/unskilled operatives 技术／非技术工人
- (especially North American English)
a person who does secret work, especially for a government organization 密探；（尤指政府的）特工人员 an intelligence operative 情报人员
Word Originlate Middle English: from late Latin operativus, from Latin operat- ‘done by labour’, from the verb operari, from opus, oper- ‘work’.