Definition
Covert operations not attributable to the sponsoring organization or nation, typically involving intelligence agencies or special forces. What happens in the black stays in the classified files.
Example Usage
That mission never officially happened—it was a black operation with no paper trail.
Origin
Intelligence and special operations terminology from Cold War era
Fun Fact
By definition, the best black operations are ones you've never heard of, which means most pop culture 'black ops' aren't actually black.
Source: Intelligence community and special operations
Related Terms
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