deactivate

[ dee-ak-tuh-veyt ]

verb (used with object)

, de·ac·ti·vat·ed, de·ac·ti·vat·ing.

1. to cause to be inactive; remove the effectiveness of.
2. to demobilize or disband (a military unit).
3. to render (a bomb, shell, or the like) inoperative, especially by disconnecting, removing, or otherwise interfering with the action of the fuze.
4. Chemistry. to render (a chemical, enzyme, catalyst, etc.) inactive.

verb (used without object)

, de·ac·ti·vat·ed, de·ac·ti·vat·ing.

1. Physical Chemistry. to lose radioactivity.

deactivate

/ diːˈæktɪˌveɪt /

verb

1. tr to make (a bomb, etc) harmless or inoperative
2. intr to become less radioactive
3. tr to end the active status of (a military unit)
4. chem to return or cause to return from an activated state to a normal or ground state

Derived Forms

• deˈactiˌvator, noun
• deˌactiˈvation, noun

Other Words From

• de·acti·vation noun
• de·acti·vator noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of deactivate¹

First recorded in 1900–05; de- + activate

Example Sentences

It’s possible to remotely deactivate the software that coordinates a safe charging.

From Los Angeles Times

"I could see this bringing peace of mind to parents of children with severe food allergies when they encounter situations where they can't be sure whether there's an exposure risk. While we don't want to deactivate this part of the immune system for prolonged periods, this could potentially provide short-term protection," said Prof Abraham, whose team is now working on optimising the dosage and frequency of use of this drug to achieve the best protective effects against anaphylactic shock.

From Science Daily

One significant challenge for this Na-CO2 battery is that after prolonged use, a film forms on the electrode surface, which eventually causes the battery to deactivate.

From Science Daily

For many cars, it’s possible to deactivate the wireless setting so that you can’t open the door remotely.

From Seattle Times

While some previous methods utilized random fluorescence emission from single molecules, or "donut" shaped second light source to deactivate or deplete fluorescent sources outside of a desired area, this new method can be gentler on cells that might be damaged by intense or long exposure to light.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• disband
• shut off