English Explanatory Dictionary

active

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting;—opposed to passive, that receives.
  2. Quick in physical movement; of an agile and vigorous body; nimble.
  3. In action; actually proceeding; working; in force
  4. Emitting hot materials, such as lava, smoke, or steam, or producing tremors.
  5. Given to action; constantly engaged in action; energetic; diligent; busy
  6. Requiring or implying action or exertion
  7. Given to action rather than contemplation; practical; operative
  8. Brisk; lively.
  9. Implying or producing rapid action.
  10. About verbs.
  11. Applied to a form of the verb; — opposed to passive. See active voice.
  12. Applied to verbs which assert that the subject acts upon or affects something else; transitive.
noun
  1. A person or thing that is acting or capable of acting.
  2. Any component that is not passive. See Passivity (engineering).

Pronunciation

/ˈæk.tɪv/ en-us-active.ogg

Word forms

active more active most active actives

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti Proto-Italic *agō Latin agō Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder. Latin -īvus ▲ Ancient Greek ἐνεργητῐκός (energētĭkós)sl. Latin āctīvusbor. Old French actifbor. Middle English actyf English active From Middle English actyf, from Old French actif, from Latin āctīv(us), from agere (“to do, to act”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti. By surface analysis, act + -ive.

Synonyms

abuzz active agile airy alive animate animated brisk busy busy as a bee buxom buzzing diligent driven driving dynamic eager effervescent energetic enthusiastic expeditious frisky gay genki glowing happy hearty impetuous industrious keen kinetic lively merry mobile motivated moving nimble peppy perky restive sassy snappy spirited sprightly sprunt spry vibrant vigorous vivacious vivid wanton youthful zealous zestful zippy acting in action working in force deedful

Antonyms

enervated extinct haggard inactive lither nondriven quiet restful sleeping slow passive indolent still quiescent dormant dull sluggish inert tranquil sedentary theoretical speculative bottom

Related words

act versatile proactive young

Derived words

actifan actimetry activase activate active braking time active camouflage active couple active directory active dry yeast active duty active echolocation active euthanasia active fault active front active galactic nucleus active galaxy active gravitational mass active ingredient active learning active lidar active listening actively active material active matrix active measures activeness active noise cancellation active noise control active participle active photolocation active power active radar active radicalization active recall active rock active service active shooter active solar active sonar active suffrage active time battle active timing active transport active travel active vocabulary active voice active volcano activewear activism activist activity activize actometry ambiactive audioactive autoactive bioactive bronchoactive cardioactive cloud-active

Translations

Arabic: شَغَّال Arabic: عَامِل Arabic: فَاعِل Arabic: مَعْلُوم Bulgarian: акти́вен Bulgarian: де́йстващ Bulgarian: де́ятелен Bulgarian: действи́телен Chinese Mandarin: 現行 /现行 Chinese Mandarin: 積極 /积极 Chinese Mandarin: 能動 /能动 Chinese Mandarin: 主動 /主动 Czech: činný Danish: aktuel Danish: aktiv Estonian: kehtiv Estonian: usin Estonian: isikuline Estonian: aktiiv Finnish: aktiivinen Finnish: voimassa oleva Finnish: tapahtuva Finnish: toiminnassa Finnish: tarmokas Finnish: toimelias Finnish: aktiivi- French: actif German: aktiv German: tätig Greek: ενεργός Greek: δραστήριος Greek: ενεργητικός Ancient Greek: ἐνεργός Ancient Greek: ἐνεργητικός Hindi: सक्रिय Hindi: क्रियात्मक Ido: aktiva Japanese: 能動的な Japanese: 積極的な Japanese: 能動 Latvian: aktīvs Latvian: darbīgs Latvian: izdarīgs Latvian: darāms Norman: acti Polish: aktywny Polish: czynny Portuguese: ativado Portuguese: ativo Russian: действи́тельный Russian: де́йствующий Russian: акти́вный Russian: де́ятельный Slovak: aktuálny Slovak: aktívny Slovak: prebiehajúci Slovak: súčasný Slovak: činný Slovene: aktíven Slovene: dejáven Slovene: tvoren Swedish: aktiv Tagalog: aktibo Turkish: faal Turkish: aktif Turkish: etkin Turkish: etken Azerbaijani: fəal Azerbaijani: işgüzar Azerbaijani: təşəbbüskar Bashkir: әүҙем Belarusian: акты́ўны Belarusian: дзе́йны Esperanto: agema Esperanto: aktiva Albanian: vepror Armenian: ներգործական Hungarian: aktív Hungarian: cselekvő Korean: 능동 Latin: activus Macedonian: активен Manx: jantagh Middle English: actyf Old English: dǣdlīċ Persian: معلوم Scottish Gaelic: spreigeach Spanish: activo
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