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active. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
active, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
active in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
From Middle English actyf, from Old French actif, from Latin activus, from agere (“to do, to act”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti.
Morphologically act + -ive.
Pronunciation
Adjective
active (comparative more active, superlative most active)
- Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting;—opposed to passive, that receives.
certain active principles
the active powers of the mind
- Synonym: acting
- Antonym: passive
- Quick in physical movement; of an agile and vigorous body; nimble.
an active child or animal
- Synonyms: agile, nimble
- Antonyms: passive, indolent, still
- In action; actually proceeding; working; in force
active laws
active hostilities
- Synonyms: in action, working, in force
- Antonyms: quiescent, dormant, extinct
- (specifically, of certain geological features, such as volcano, geysers, etc) Emitting hot materials, such as lava, smoke, or steam, or producing tremors.
- Given to action; constantly engaged in action; energetic; diligent; busy
an active man of business
active mind
active zeal
1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:This new-comer was a man who in any company would have seemed striking. […] He was smooth-faced, and his fresh skin and well-developed figure bespoke the man in good physical condition through active exercise, yet well content with the world's apportionment.
- Synonyms: busy, deedful, diligent, energetic
- Antonyms: dull, sluggish, indolent, inert
- Requiring or implying action or exertion
active employment or service
active scenes
- Synonym: operative
- Antonyms: passive, tranquil, sedentary
- Given to action rather than contemplation; practical; operative
an active rather than a speculative statesman
- Antonyms: theoretical, speculative
- Brisk; lively.
an active demand for corn
- Implying or producing rapid action.
an active disease
an active remedy
- Antonyms: passive, slow
- (heading, grammar) About verbs.
- Applied to a form of the verb; — opposed to passive. See active voice.
- Applied to verbs which assert that the subject acts upon or affects something else; transitive.
- Applied to all verbs that express action as distinct from mere existence or state.
- (computing, of source code) Eligible to be processed by a compiler or interpreter.
2006 December 24, David Williams, “satellite program”, in comp.lang.basic.visual.misc (Usenet):I think it should be upgraded to Visual BASIC, but I'm no good at that. So maybe someone here would like to take a crack at it. There are only 40 lines of active code, plus a few REMs. About 100 BASIC commands altogether.
2012, Chris Grover, “Triggering Actions”, in Adobe Edge Preview 5: The Missing Manual, 3rd edition, Sebastopol: O'Reilly Media, →ISBN, page 98:Edge uses green text for comments. This makes it easier for you to quickly differentiate between active code and comments.
- (electronics) Not passive.
- (gay sexual slang) (of a homosexual man) enjoying a role in anal sex in which he penetrates, rather than being penetrated by his partner.
- Synonym: top
- Antonyms: passive, bottom
Synonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Descendants
Translations
having the quality or power of acting
- Arabic: نَشِيط (našīṭ), عَامِل (ʕāmil)
- Armenian: ակտիվ (hy) (aktiv)
- Assamese: সক্ৰিয় (xokriy)
- Asturian: activu
- Azerbaijani: fəal (az)
- Belarusian: акты́ўны m (aktýŭny), дзе́йны (dzjéjny), чы́нны (čýnny)
- Bulgarian: де́ен (bg) (déen), акти́вен (bg) (aktíven)
- Catalan: actiu (ca)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 活性 (zh) (huóxìng), 積極/积极 (zh) (jījí)
- Czech: aktivní (cs), činný (cs)
- Danish: aktiv (da)
- Dutch: actief (nl)
- Erzya: эряза (eŕaza)
- Estonian: tegev
- Finnish: aktiivinen (fi)
- French: actif (fr)
- Galician: activo (gl)
- German: aktiv (de)
- Greek:
- Ancient: πρακτικός (praktikós)
- Hebrew: פָּעִיל (he) m (pa'íl)
- Ido: aktiva (io)
- Italian: attivo (it)
- Japanese: 活動的な (かつどうてきな, katsudōteki na)
- Kazakh: белсенді (kk) (belsendı)
- Korean: 활동적(活動的) (ko) (hwaldongjeok)
- Latin: activus
- Latvian: aktīvs, darbīgs
- Macedonian: а́ктивен (áktiven)
- Malay: giat (ms), aktif (ms)
- Malayalam: സജീവ (ml) (sajīva)
- Middle English: actyf
- Norman: acti (Jersey)
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: aktiv (no)
- Persian: آکتیو (fa) (âktiv), کاری (fa) (kâri), کنشور (fa) (konešvar)
- Polish: aktywny (pl), czynny (pl)
- Portuguese: ativo (pt)
- Romanian: activ (ro)
- Russian: акти́вный (ru) (aktívnyj), де́ятельный (ru) (déjatelʹnyj)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: а̏ктӣван
- Roman: ȁktīvan (sh)
- Slovak: aktívny (sk), činný
- Slovene: aktíven, dejáven
- Spanish: activo (es)
- Swedish: aktiv (sv)
- Tagalog: aktibo
- Turkish: aktif (tr)
- Ukrainian: акти́вний (uk) (aktývnyj), дія́льний (uk) (dijálʹnyj)
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quick in physical movement
- Arabic: نَشِيط (našīṭ)
- Belarusian: акты́ўны (aktýŭny)
- Bulgarian: акти́вен (bg) (aktíven), енерги́чен (bg) (energíčen)
- Central Sierra Miwok: hók-ŋe-
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 敏捷 (zh) (mǐnjié), 靈活/灵活 (zh) (línghuó), 利落 (zh) (lìluo)
- Estonian: väle, tarmukas
- Finnish: aktiivinen (fi)
- French: actif (fr)
- Galician: activo (gl) m
- German: gewandt (de), flink (de)
- Japanese: すばしっこい (subashikkoi)
- Kurdish:
- Northern Kurdish: çalak (ku)
- Latin: actuosus
- Latvian: aktīvs, darbīgs, kustīgs
- Malay: aktif (ms)
- Malayalam: സജീവമായ (sajīvamāya)
- Maori: manahau, manamanahau, toritori, tāwariwari, hohe
- Norman: acti (Jersey)
- Persian: چست (fa) (čost), چالاک (fa) (čâlâk)
- Portuguese: ativo (pt)
- Russian: акти́вный (ru) (aktívnyj), прово́рный (ru) (provórnyj)
- Scots: leish
- Scottish Gaelic: giobach
- Slovak: živý, energický
- Swedish: aktiv (sv)
- Tagalog: aktibo
- Ukrainian: акти́вний (uk) (aktývnyj)
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in action
- Arabic: شَغَّال (šaḡḡāl), عَامِل (ʕāmil)
- Bulgarian: акти́вен (bg) (aktíven), де́йстващ (bg) (déjstvašt)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 現行/现行 (zh) (xiànxíng)
- Czech: činný (cs) m
- Danish: aktuel (da)
- Estonian: kehtiv
- Finnish: aktiivinen (fi), voimassa oleva
- French: actif (fr)
- German: aktiv (de)
- Greek: ενεργός (el) (energós)
- Ancient: ἐνεργός (energós)
- Ido: aktiva (io)
- Japanese: 能動的な (のうどうてきな, nōdōteki na)
- Latvian: aktīvs
- Norman: acti (Jersey)
- Polish: aktywny (pl), czynny (pl)
- Portuguese: ativado (pt)
- Russian: действи́тельный (ru) (dejstvítelʹnyj), де́йствующий (ru) (déjstvujuščij)
- Slovak: aktuálny (sk), aktívny (sk), prebiehajúci, súčasný (sk), činný
- Slovene: aktíven, dejáven
- Swedish: (volcano) aktiv (sv)
- Tagalog: aktibo
- Turkish: faal (tr)
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given to action
- Azerbaijani: fəal (az), işgüzar, təşəbbüskar
- Bashkir: әүҙем (əwźem)
- Belarusian: акты́ўны (aktýŭny)
- Bulgarian: акти́вен (bg) (aktíven), де́ятелен (bg) (déjatelen)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 積極/积极 (zh) (jījí), 能動/能动 (zh) (néngdòng)
- Esperanto: agema
- Estonian: usin (et)
- Finnish: aktiivinen (fi)
- French: actif (fr)
- German: tätig (de)
- Ido: aktiva (io)
- Japanese: 積極的な (ja) (せっきょくてきな, sekkyokuteki na), 能動的な (のうどうてきな, nōdōteki na)
- Latvian: aktīvs, darbīgs, izdarīgs
- Norman: acti (Jersey)
- Portuguese: ativo (pt)
- Russian: акти́вный (ru) (aktívnyj), де́ятельный (ru) (déjatelʹnyj)
- Slovak: aktívny (sk)
- Slovene: aktíven, dejáven
- Turkish: aktif (tr), etkin (tr), faal (tr)
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requiring or implying action or exertion
given to action rather than contemplation
brisk; lively
- Arabic: فَارِه (fārih), حَرِك (ar) (ḥarik)
- Egyptian Arabic: نشيط (nišīṭ)
- Azerbaijani: fəal (az)
- Belarusian: акты́ўны (aktýŭny)
- Bulgarian: енерги́чен (bg) (energíčen)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 活躍/活跃 (zh) (huóyuè)
- Estonian: elav (et)
- Finnish: eloisa (fi), reipas (fi)
- Ido: aktiva (io)
- Japanese: 活発な (ja) (かっぱつな, kappatsu na), ぴちぴち (ja) (pichipichi), ぴんぴん (pinpin), 活躍 (ja) (かつやく, katsuyaku)
- Latin: actuōsus, alacer
- Latvian: kustīgs, mundrs, možs, spirgts, žirgts, ņiprs
- Malayalam: സജീവ (ml) (sajīva)
- Polish: aktywny (pl)
- Portuguese: ativo (pt)
- Russian: энерги́чный (ru) (enɛrgíčnyj), акти́вный (ru) (aktívnyj), живо́й (ru) (živój)
- Scottish Gaelic: giobach
- Slovak: živý
- Tagalog: aktibo
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in grammar
- Albanian: vepror (sq)
- Arabic: فَاعِل (fāʕil), مَعْلُوم (maʕlūm)
- Armenian: ներգործական (hy) (nergorcakan)
- Belarusian: дзе́йны (dzjéjny), акты́ўны (aktýŭny)
- Bulgarian: де́ятелен (bg) (déjatelen), действи́телен (bg) (dejstvítelen), акти́вен (bg) (aktíven)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 主動/主动 (zh) (zhǔdòng)
- Czech: činný (cs)
- Danish: aktiv (da)
- Esperanto: aktiva (eo)
- Estonian: isikuline, aktiiv (et)
- Finnish: aktiivi-, aktiivinen (fi)
- French: actif (fr)
- German: aktiv (de)
- Greek:
- Ancient: ἐνεργητικός (energētikós)
- Hungarian: aktív (hu), cselekvő (hu)
- Ido: aktiva (io)
- Japanese: 能動 (ja) (のうどう, nōdō)
- Korean: 능동(能動) (ko) (neungdong)
- Latin: activus
- Latvian: darāms
- Macedonian: активен (aktiven)
- Manx: jantagh
- Middle English: actyf
- Persian: معلوم (fa) (ma'lum)
- Polish: czynny (pl)
- Portuguese: ativo (pt)
- Russian: действи́тельный (ru) (dejstvítelʹnyj), акти́вный (ru) (aktívnyj)
- Scottish Gaelic: spreigeach
- Slovak: činný
- Slovene: tvoren
- Spanish: activo (es)
- Swedish: aktiv (sv)
- Ukrainian: ді́йсний (díjsnyj), акти́вний (uk) (aktývnyj)
- Vietnamese: chủ động (vi)
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Translations to be checked
See also
Noun
active (plural actives)
- A person or thing that is acting or capable of acting.
1989, The Alcalde, volume 78, number 2, page 11:"Alumni could become more active in giving guidance and leadership to students. They act as sort of a 'maturity governor' on fraternities," notes Ratliff, citing surveys suggesting that fraternity actives presume mistakenly that alumni want hazing […]
- (electronics) Any component that is not passive. See Passivity (engineering).
2013, David Manners, Hitchhikers' Guide to Electronics in the '90s, page 36:Components are split into two broad segments: actives and passives. Active components like the vacuum tube and the transistor contain the power to generate and alter electrical signals.
Further reading
- “active”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “active”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
Anagrams
Asturian
Verb
active
- first-person singular present subjunctive of activar
- third-person singular present subjunctive of activar
French
Pronunciation
Adjective
active
- feminine singular of actif
Verb
active
- inflection of activer:
- first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
- second-person singular imperative
Anagrams
Galician
Verb
active
- inflection of activar:
- first/third-person singular present subjunctive
- third-person singular imperative
German
Alternative forms
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Latin āctīvē.
Adverb
active
- (grammar, obsolete) actively
Etymology 2
Adjective
active
- inflection of activ:
- strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
- strong nominative/accusative plural
- weak nominative all-gender singular
- weak accusative feminine/neuter singular
Interlingua
Adjective
active (not comparable)
- active
Related terms
Latin
Etymology 1
Adverb
āctīvē (comparative āctīvius, superlative āctīvissimē)
- (grammar) actively
Etymology 2
Adjective
āctīve
- vocative masculine singular of āctīvus
References
- “active”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- active in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
- Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
- (ambiguous) to put the finishing touch to a work: extrema manus accēdit operi (active extremam manum imponere operi)
- (ambiguous) to be some one's favourite: in amore et deliciis esse alicui (active in deliciis habere aliquem)
Middle English
Adjective
active
- Alternative form of actyf
Noun
active
- Alternative form of actyf
Portuguese
Verb
active
- inflection of activar:
- first/third-person singular present subjunctive
- third-person singular imperative
Romanian
Pronunciation
Adjective
active
- nominative/accusative feminine/neuter plural of activ
Spanish
Verb
active
- inflection of activar:
- first/third-person singular present subjunctive
- third-person singular imperative