active

/ˈæk.tɪv/

ÆK · tɪv (2 syllables)

English Adj Top 3,752
American (Lessac) (medium)
Female 0.8s
American (Amy) (medium)
Female 0.7s
American (Ryan) (medium)
Male 0.4s
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Definition

Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting;—opposed to passive, that receives.

Etymology

From Middle English actyf, from Old French actif, from Latin āctīv(us), from agere (“to do, to act”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti. By surface analysis, act + -ive.

Example Sentences

  • "certain active principles"
  • "the active powers of the mind"
  • "an active child or animal"
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