operant (adj.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict[operant 词源字典]
"that works," early 15c., from Latin operantem (nominative operans), present participle of operari "to work" (see operation). Psychological sense of "involving behavior modification" coined 1937 by U.S. psychologist B.F. Skinner (as in operant conditioning, 1938, Skinner).[operant etymology, operant origin, 英语词源]