active

[ ak-tiv ]

/ ˈæk tɪv /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR active ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

engaged in action; characterized by energetic work, participation, etc.; busy: an active life.

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.

causing activity or change; capable of exerting influence (opposed to passive): active treason.

effective (opposed to 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 (opposed to passive): Writes in He writes a letter every day is an active verb form.

requiring or giving rise to action; practical: an active course.

(of a volcano) in eruption.

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.

Origin of active

First recorded in 1300–50; from Latin āctīvus; replacing Middle English actif, from Middle French, from Latin; see act, -ive

SYNONYMS FOR active

1 acting; working; operative.

4 agile, sprightly.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR active ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR active

1 lazy.

5 sluggish.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR active ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for active

3. Active, energetic, strenuous, vigorous imply a liveliness and briskness in accomplishing something. Active suggests quickness and diligence as opposed to laziness or dilatory methods: an active and useful person. Energetic suggests forceful and intense, sometimes nervous, activity: conducting an energetic campaign. Strenuous implies arduous and zealous activity with a sense of urgency: a strenuous effort. Vigorous suggests strong, effective activity: using vigorous measures to accomplish an end.

OTHER WORDS FROM active

ac·tive·ly, adverb ac·tive·ness, noun non·ac·tive, adjective, noun pre·ac·tive, adjective

pre·ac·tive·ly, adverb pre·ac·tive·ness, noun qua·si-ac·tive, adjective qua·si-ac·tive·ly, adverb sem·i·ac·tive, adjective sem·i·ac·tive·ly, adverb sem·i·ac·tive·ness, noun su·per·ac·tive, adjective su·per·ac·tive·ly, adverb su·per·ac·tive·ness, noun

Words nearby active

activated resin, activated sludge, activation analysis, activation energy, activator, active, active anaphylaxis, active centre, active chronic hepatitis, active congestion, active duty

Example sentences from the Web for active

“The United States had gone to war declaring it must destroy an active weapons of mass destruction program,” the Times reported.

Political Memes That Absolutely Must Die in 2015 |Asawin Suebsaeng |January 1, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Along the river, crumbling remnants of an active trading hub are overtaken by nature.

The Congo's Forgotten Colonial Getaway |Nina Strochlic |December 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Female members have been involved in the carnage for the past two years, but never in such an active role.

The New Face of Boko Haram’s Terror: Teen Girls |Nina Strochlic |December 13, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It took three weeks for RSD to learn that James Seevakumaran had been an active member of its community.

School Shooters Love This Pickup Artist Website |Brandy Zadrozny |December 5, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

However there is little doubt that Harry has felt at his most happy and fulfilled when he has been active in his army life.

Can Harry Bury the Party Prince? |Tom Sykes |December 2, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
He was a handsome youngster, lightly clad and barefooted; and, although not yet full grown, of a strong and active build.

Kate Bonnet |Frank R. Stockton
But when learning the above series by my method, it was kept in an active state.

Assimilative Memory |Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
An “active” or “passive” expression of the eyes was looked upon as especially significant.

The Measurement of Intelligence |Lewis Madison Terman
The years from 1854 to 1860 were on his part years of constant, active, and unwearied effort.

The Every-day Life of Abraham Lincoln |Francis Fisher Browne
These are often charitable and public-spirited, and active in municipal rather than in parliamentary life.

The Long White Cloud |William Pember Reeves

British Dictionary definitions for active

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 footballCompare passive (def. 5)
another word for nonstative

being fully engaged in military service (esp in the phrase on active service)

(of a volcano) erupting periodically; not extinct Compare dormant (def. 3), extinct (def. 3)

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 (def. 8)

commerce

producing or being used to produce profit, esp in the form of interestactive 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 poweran active network
capable of amplifying a signal or controlling some functionan active component; an active communication satellite

noun

grammar

the active voice
an active verb

mainly US a member of an organization who participates in its activities

Derived forms of active

actively, adverb activeness, noun

Word Origin for active

C14: from Latin āctīvus. See act, -ive

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

active

adjective

noun

Origin of active

SYNONYMS FOR active

ANTONYMS FOR active

synonym study for active

OTHER WORDS FROM active

Words nearby active

Example sentences from the Web for active

British Dictionary definitions for active

adjective

noun

Derived forms of active

Word Origin for active

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

active

adjective

noun

Origin of active

SYNONYMS FOR active

ANTONYMS FOR active

synonym study for active

OTHER WORDS FROM active

Words nearby active

Words related to active

Example sentences from the Web for active

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for active

adjective

noun

Derived forms of active

Word Origin for active

British Dictionary definitions for active