ACTIVE
adjective
Synonyms
Agile; alert; brisk; vigorous; nimble; lively; quick; sprightly; prompt; energetic.
Definitions
- 1. Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting; -- opposed to Ant: passive, that receives; as, certain active principles; the powers of the mind.
- 2. Quick in physical movement; of an agile and vigorous body; nimble; as, an active child or animal. Active and nervous was his gait. Wordsworth.
- 3. In action; actually proceeding; working; in force; -- opposed to quiescent, dormant, or extinct; as, active laws; active hostilities; an active volcano.
- 4. Given to action; constantly engaged in action; energetic; diligent; busy; -- opposed to dull, sluggish, indolent, or inert; as, an active man of business; active mind; active zeal.
- 5. Requiring or implying action or exertion; -- opposed to Ant: sedentary or to Ant: tranquil; as, active employment or service; active scenes.
- 6. Given to action rather than contemplation; practical; operative; - - opposed to Ant: speculative or Ant: theoretical; as, an active rather than a speculative statesman.
- 7. Brisk; lively; as, an active demand for corn.
- 8. Implying or producing rapid action; as, an active disease; an active remedy.
- 9. Applied to a form of the verb; -- opposed to Ant: passive. See Active voice, under Voice.
- 10. Applied to verbs which assert that the subject acts upon or affects something else; transitive.
- 11. Applied to all verbs that express action as distinct from mere existence or state. Active capital, Active wealth, money, or property that may readily be converted into money.
Added: October 09, 2025
Updated: October 09, 2025