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active
[ ak-tiv ]
adjective
an active life.
Synonyms: operative, working, acting
Antonyms: lazy
- being in a state of existence, progress, or motion:
active hostilities.
- involving physical effort and action:
active sports.
- having the power of quick motion; nimble:
active as a gazelle.
- characterized by action, motion, volume, use, participation, etc.:
an active market in wheat; an active list of subscribers.
Antonyms: sluggish
active treason.
- effective ( inert ):
active ingredients.
- Grammar. noting or pertaining to a voice of verbal inflection in which typically the subject of the sentence is represented as performing the action expressed by the verb ( passive ): Writes in He writes a letter every day is an active verb form.
- requiring or giving rise to action; practical:
an active course.
- Geology. (of a volcano) having erupted within the last 10,000 years and likely to do so again or currently in a state of eruption. Compare dormant ( def ), extinct ( def ).
- Accounting. profitable; busy:
active accounts.
- requiring personal effort or attention; not automatic:
an active alarm system.
- interest-bearing:
active paper.
- Medicine/Medical. acting quickly; producing immediate effects:
active remedies.
- Sociology. (of a crowd) engaging in purposeful activity, often of a militant nature. Compare expressive ( def 4 ).
- Aerospace. able to transmit signals:
an active communications satellite.
- Electronics. (of a device or system) acting as a source of electrical energy, as a generator, or capable of amplifying or converting voltages or currents, as a transistor or diode.
- (of a solar heating system) accumulating and distributing solar heat by mechanical means.
- Military. serving on active duty.
noun
- Grammar.
- the active voice.
- a form or construction in the active voice.
- an active person, member, subscriber, etc.:
The circular was mailed only to the actives on our list.
- Informal. something showing considerable action or activity:
On the stock market there was heavy trading in the actives.
active
/ ˈæktɪv /
adjective
- in a state of action; moving, working, or doing something
- busy or involved
an active life
- physically energetic
- exerting influence; effective
an active ingredient
- grammar
- denoting a voice of verbs used to indicate that the subject of a sentence is performing the action or causing the event or process described by the verb, as kicked in The boy kicked the football Compare passive
- another word for nonstative
- being fully engaged in military service (esp in the phrase on active service )
- astronomy (of the sun) exhibiting a large number of sunspots, solar flares, etc, and a marked variation in intensity and frequency of radio emission Compare quiet
- commerce
- producing or being used to produce profit, esp in the form of interest
active balances
- of or denoting stocks or shares that have been actively bought and sold as recorded in the Official List of the London Stock Exchange
- electronics
- containing a source of power
an active network
- capable of amplifying a signal or controlling some function
an active component
an active communication satellite
noun
- grammar
- the active voice
- an active verb
- a member of an organization who participates in its activities
Derived Forms
- ˈactiveness, noun
- ˈactively, adverb
Other Words From
- ac·tive·ly adverb
- ac·tive·ness noun
- non·ac·tive adjective noun
- pre·ac·tive adjective
- pre·ac·tive·ness noun
- qua·si-ac·tive adjective
- sem·i·ac·tive adjective
- sem·i·ac·tive·ness noun
- su·per·ac·tive adjective
- su·per·ac·tive·ness noun
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of active1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
For example, when the medulla is active, it initiates breathing.
The Yakimovich group "Machine Learning for Infection and Disease" aims to understand the complex network of molecular interactions that is active after the body has been infected with a pathogen.
Ideally, Ford said, people would not have to choose between being politically active and preserving their mental health.
AllHere’s website was active as of Tuesday night, but the contact page notes that “due to our current financial position, the Board furloughed the majority of the company’s employees on June 14, 2024.”
The US defence official confirmed to the BBC that Ukraine had pledged to use only mines that remained active for a limited period of time.
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Related Words
More About Active
What is a basic definition of active?
Active is an adjective that describes something as involving a lot of energetic work or as engaging in action, operation, or motion. The word active is used in grammar to indicate that the subject of the sentence is performing an action. The word active has other senses as an adjective and a noun.
If something or someone is active, a lot of activity is going on or they are using a lot of energy.
- Real-life examples: Professional athletes, firefighters, and police officers usually have very active jobs. An active day at the stock market involves a lot of buying and selling. Ants, birds, and bees live active lives, moving around a lot, compared to animals such as sloths, slugs, and turtles, which stay still much of the time.
- Used in a sentence: Lucy’s cat is very active, chasing shadows and playing with its toys.
Active can also describe something as being in motion or doing things. The word inactive is the opposite of this sense, describing something as sitting around, sleeping, or not functioning.
- Real-life examples: Nocturnal animals are active at night and asleep during the day. If a burglar alarm is active, it has been turned on and is ready to trigger if it detects a person. If a mine or bomb is active, it is operating properly and will explode if something triggers it.
- Used in a sentence: Luckily, the fire alarm was active and quickly detected the fire.
In grammar, the word active refers to the active voice. This term refers to a sentence in which the subject performs the action of the verb. The other English voice is called passive voice, where the subject of the sentence has the action performed on it.
- Active voice: I ran. She drove to the bank. He punched me.
- Passive voice: The ball was thrown through the window. The building was torn down. I was given an A on the test.
Where does active come from?
The first records of active come from around 1300. It comes from the Latin āctīvus and is an adjective formed from act, meaning “something that is done” or “to do something.”
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to active?
- inactive (adjective)
- activate (verb)
- activity (noun)
- proactive (adjective)
- hyperactive (adjective)
What are some synonyms for active?
What are some words that share a root or word element with active?
What are some words that often get used in discussing active?
How is active used in real life?
Active is a common word used to describe something as involving a lot of energy or as doing things.
That moment when your fitness band congratulates you on staying active, but you're really just standing up to get some Cheez-Its
— Jeremy Kaplan (@SmashDawg) August 26, 2016
My mind is always the most active at night when I should be sleeping.
— Censor (@Censor) November 10, 2015
Big cats are active at night like little cats. Does your cat act as your alarm clock after a night out exploring? #protectatiger
— WWF UK 🌏 (@wwf_uk) August 13, 2013
Try using active!
True or False?
A pet that does nothing but sleep and lay around all day leads a very active life.
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