active
adjective · noun
Simple meaning
Given to action.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
aktivSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈæktɪv
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Given to action; constantly engaged in action; energetic; diligent; busy
Given to action rather than contemplation; practical; operative
Disposed to take action or effectuate change
“A director who takes an active interest in corporate operations.”
Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting;—opposed to passive, that receives.
In action; actually proceeding; working; in force
Requiring or implying action or exertion
noun
A person or thing that is acting or capable of acting.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting;—opposed to passive, that receives.
'Active' describes something that is doing or causing action, rather than just sitting there. It's the opposite of 'passive,' like a volcano that is active vs. dormant.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where you'll really hear it
Health & Fitness
“He leads a very active lifestyle, always exercising.”
Technical descriptions
“The active ingredient in this medication fights bacteria.”
Financial news
“Investors are seeking active management for their portfolios.”
Nearby words
- dynamic , a specialist term, precise but narrower
- energetic , a specialist term, precise but narrower
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use active
- “A director who takes an active interest in corporate operations.”adjective
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Childbirth during which the mother is encouraged to be an active participant.
A citizen who takes an active role in the community (as in crime prevention and neighborhood watch).
A form of acquired immunity in which the body produces its own antibodies against disease-causing antigens.
A type of LCD screen used for some portable computers.
A placebo used in experimental tests of a drug that has noticeable side effects.
The part of an enzyme or antibody where the chemical reaction occurs.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.