reactive
Americanadjective
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tending to react.
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pertaining to or characterized by reaction.
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Electricity. pertaining to or characterized by reactance.
adjective
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readily partaking in chemical reactions
sodium is a reactive metal
free radicals are very reactive
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of, concerned with, or having a reactance
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responsive to stimulus
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(of mental illnesses) precipitated by an external cause
reactive depression
Other Word Forms
- antireactive adjective
- hyperreactive adjective
- nonreactive adjective
- overreactive adjective
- reactively adverb
- reactiveness noun
- reactivity noun
- unreactive adjective
Etymology
Origin of reactive
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I think a lot of it is coming out and being the aggressors first, trying not to be reactive to situations, and we can do that starting with our defense,” Leger-Walker said.
From Los Angeles Times
But markets are reactive not just to current conditions but to expectations about the future.
From Barron's
This sensation is triggered by reactive molecules in cells that signal the body to avoid harm.
From Science Daily
This pattern also shows up in bonds, where investors have been even more reactive and pessimistic than their equity counterparts,” said Mark Hackett, the chief market strategist for Nationwide.
From MarketWatch
He expects the market to remain “highly reactive to headlines,” with geopolitical developments likely to overshadow underlying supply and demand fundamentals.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
