active

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈæk.tɪv/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like octave /æ/ vs /ɑ/

Freq #3727

Meanings

1

adj
busy doing things, especially physical activities

My grandmother is still very active at eighty.
2

adj
taking part in something in a busy, involved way

She takes an active role in the local community.
3

adj
working, in operation, or having an effect

The active ingredient in the medicine reduces pain.
4

adj
likely to erupt; currently erupting (of a volcano)

The volcano is still active and could erupt at any time.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

4 adj · likely to erupt; currently... live

More abuzz agile airy alive animate animated brisk busy buxom buzzing diligent driven

Opposites

enervated extinct haggard inactivelithernondrivenquiet restful sleeping slow

Word family

Forms actives

Derived forms actifanactimetryactivaseactivate activelyactivenessactivewearactivism activist activityactivizeactometry

Related forms actproactiveversatile young

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

active ingredient
the component of a product that produces its intended effect

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti Proto-Italic *agō Latin agō Proto-Indo-European *-wósder. Latin -īvus ▲ Ancient Greek ἐνεργητῐκός (energētĭkós)sl. Latin āctīvusbor. Old French actifbor. Middle English actyf English active 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.

*h₂eǵ- Proto-Indo-European actyf Middle English actif Old French activus Latin *h₂éǵeti Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# active

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈæk.tɪv/
**Frequency rank:** 3727

## Meanings
1. busy doing things, especially physical activities
2. taking part in something in a busy, involved way
3. working, in operation, or having an effect
4. likely to erupt; currently erupting (of a volcano)

## Examples
- My grandmother is still very active at eighty.
- She takes an active role in the local community.
- The active ingredient in the medicine reduces pain.
- The volcano is still active and could erupt at any time.

## Synonyms
- abuzz
- agile
- airy
- alive
- animate
- animated
- brisk
- busy
- buxom
- buzzing
- diligent
- driven

## Antonyms
- enervated
- extinct
- haggard
- inactive
- lither
- nondriven
- quiet
- restful
- sleeping
- slow

## Derived Forms
- actifan
- actimetry
- activase
- activate
- actively
- activeness
- activewear
- activism
- activist
- activity
- activize
- actometry

## Related Forms
- act
- proactive
- versatile
- young

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₂eǵ-
- Root: actyf
- Root: actif
- Root: activus
- Root: *h₂éǵeti
- Affix: -ive - tending to

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti Proto-Italic *agō Latin agō Proto-Indo-European *-wósder. Latin -īvus ▲ Ancient Greek ἐνεργητῐκός (energētĭkós)sl. Latin āctīvusbor. Old French actifbor. Middle English actyf English active 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.

## AI Etymology
Active comes 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 plus -ive. The historical line also includes Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- and Latin activus. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named base and affix.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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