deactivate

American  

[dee-ak-tuh-veyt] / diˈæk təˌveɪt /

verb (used with object)

deactivated, deactivating

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.

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verb (used without object)

deactivated, deactivating

1. Physical Chemistry. to lose radioactivity.

deactivate British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• deactivation noun
• deactivator noun

Etymology

Origin of deactivate

First recorded in 1900–05; de- + activate

Example Sentences

In an interview, Fishback said he isn’t antisemitic and that he believes the university’s move to deactivate the chapter violates students’ free-speech rights.

From The Wall Street Journal

"A traditional minesweeper which is conducting slow, painstaking work is going to find it tricky to hunt for mines and deactivate them if they are also under air and surface attack," he said.

From BBC

The researchers used optogenetics, a technique that activates or deactivates genes using light.

From Science Daily

It had sailed some considerable distance by the time the fire was reported and it is assumed the crew deactivated its automatic identification system.

From BBC

But, just like Officer Salzburg, she’d reached her Glitching limit and been deactivated.

From Literature

Related Words

• disband
• shut off