# active

Pronunciation: say "AK-tiv" /ˈæk.tɪv/

## Adjective

1. Busy and energetic, doing a lot, especially physically; of trade or a market, lively, with much going on.
   - Simple: Busy and full of energy and always doing things, or full of buying and selling, as a market can be.
   - _She remains remarkably active, juggling volunteer work, a book club, and daily runs._
   - _An active child needs plenty of outlets for all that restless energy._
2. Involved in the work of an organization, cause or activity, rather than simply being a member of it or watching from the side.
   - Simple: Taking part in a group, cause or activity, not just belonging to it or watching.
   - _She has been politically active since college, organizing voter drives every election year._
   - _The union has 4,000 members, but only a few hundred are active in its campaigns._
3. Currently operating, in progress, or in force rather than dormant or suspended.
   - Simple: Working or happening right now, still in use or in effect.
   - _The investigation remains active, with detectives following several new leads._
   - _Once the contract is active, both parties must meet its terms._
4. Of a person, force or substance, having the power to act on other things or to cause an effect or change, rather than merely being acted on.
   - Simple: Able to do something or cause a change, like the part of a medicine that makes it work.
   - _Yeast is the active agent that makes the dough rise._
   - _In the experiment, heat was the active factor causing the chemical change._
5. Requiring or involving physical effort and exertion to perform or take part in.
   - Simple: Needing effort or physical movement to take part in.
   - _Mountaineering is an active pursuit demanding strength, stamina, and constant exertion._
   - _Her doctor recommended a more active lifestyle, with daily walks and stretching._
6. Serving in the military full-time, rather than belonging to the reserves or having retired from service.
   - Simple: Working full-time in the army, navy or other armed forces, not in the reserves and not retired.
   - _After twelve years on active duty, he moved to the reserves and took a civilian job._
   - _The base is home to about 9,000 active and reserve personnel._
7. Currently erupting or capable of erupting, releasing lava, ash, gas or steam, or producing tremors.
   - Simple: Erupting or able to erupt, sending out lava, ash, or steam.
   - _Geologists confirmed that the volcano is still active after detecting fresh tremors._
   - _An active geyser nearby sent up jets of boiling water every hour._
10. Describing a verb, clause or sentence whose grammatical subject performs the action, rather than one in the passive.
   - Simple: Describing the verb form where the subject does the action instead of having it done to it.
   - _The editor rewrote the report in the active voice to make it more direct._
   - _Most style guides prefer active constructions to passive ones._
12. Of a circuit component, able to supply power to a circuit or to amplify a signal, unlike a passive component.
   - Simple: Describing a circuit part that can supply electrical power or increase a signal's power.
   - _Because it contains an amplifier, an active filter can boost a weak signal while it removes unwanted noise._
   - _Op-amps and transistors are active devices, unlike resistors._
14. Of a gay man, preferring the penetrating role in anal sex rather than the receptive one.
   - Simple: Describing a man who prefers the penetrating role in anal sex with another man.
   - _In his profile he listed himself as active, looking for a receptive partner._
   - _The two men talked about whether each preferred to be active or passive._
15. Designating any verb that expresses action, as distinct from mere existence or a state of being.
   - Simple: Describing a verb that shows action rather than just being or staying the same.
   - _Writing coaches favor active verbs like 'sprint' over static ones like 'remain'._
   - _An active verb conveys something happening rather than a condition that simply holds._

## Noun

8. A substance in a skincare, cosmetic or medicinal product that delivers the intended effect, as distinct from the base that carries it.
   - Simple: The part of a skin cream, makeup or medicine that does the work, not the base it is mixed into.
   - _Dermatologists suggest adding one new active at a time so you can tell what your skin reacts to._
   - _The serum lists its actives, retinol and niacinamide, at the top of the label._
9. The voice of a verb in which the grammatical subject is the one carrying out the action, as in 'The committee approved the plan.'
   - Simple: The verb form used when the subject does the action, as in 'The dog bit him.'
   - _Most style guides advise using the active wherever the doer of the action is known._
   - _Put back into the active, the clause reads 'the inspectors found the fault.'_
11. A current, participating member of a group, especially a college fraternity or sorority, as distinct from its alumni or new pledges.
   - Simple: A current member who takes part in a group, especially a college fraternity or sorority, unlike graduates or new pledges.
   - _Every active in the chapter must attend the Monday meeting, while alumni are simply welcome._
   - _The fraternity's actives met with alumni to plan the spring reunion._
13. A circuit component that is not passive: one able to supply energy or provide gain, such as a transistor or amplifier.
   - Simple: An electrical part that can add power or boost a signal, not just resist or store it.
   - _The design replaced two passives with a single active to cut the part count._
   - _Each active on the board draws current from the supply rail._

## Other meanings

- (adjective) Designating a verb whose subject acts upon or affects something else; a transitive verb.
- (adjective) Designating code or input that is eligible to be processed by a compiler or interpreter.

## Origin

Latin agere ("to do, to act"), which goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti, gave āctīvus; Old French made it actif and Middle English actyf. Taken apart in English, it is act plus the suffix -ive.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/active (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).