active
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
Britannica Dictionary definition of ACTIVE
1
[more active; most active]
:
doing things that require physical movement and energy
-
We stay/keep active during the cold winter months by skiing and ice skating.
-
Despite her age, she has been able to maintain her active [=busy] lifestyle.
-
Cats are most active [=energetic, lively] at night.
2
[more active; most active]
a
:
involved in the activities of a group or organization
:
participating in an action or activity
— often + in
-
We are active members of our church.
-
While many give money to the organization, only a few are active participants.
-
She was politically active as a volunteer for her state representative.
-
They were active in the antiwar movement of the 1960s.
-
active in women's causes
b
:
involving action or participation
-
They take an active interest in their children's education.
-
He has taken/played a more active role in the production of this album.
3
:
marked by regular action or use
-
the bank's active and inactive accounts
-
He became sexually active [=he began having sex] at the age of 21.
4
of a volcano
:
likely to explode violently or produce fire and hot liquid rock
:
capable of erupting
-
Most volcanoes on this island are still active but a few are inactive.
5
of a disease
:
becoming worse or continuing to have bad effects
-
active tuberculosis
-
The disease remains active throughout the patient's life.
6
:
having a chemical effect especially on the body
-
The medicine has two active ingredients.
-
the active ingredient in/of marijuana
7
a
US
:
involving service in the military as a main job
-
After two years of active duty [=two years of being a full-time member of the military] she entered the reserves.
-
She was on active duty for two years.
b
:
involving fighting in a war as a member of the military
-
He saw no active service [=he did not fight in any battles] during his time in the army.
-
He was on active service in three separate wars.
-
soldiers returning home from active service
8
grammar
a
of a verb or voice
:
showing that the subject of a sentence is the one doing the action expressed by the verb
—
compare passive
-
“Picked” in “I picked the apples” is an active verb because it shows that the subject “I” is the one who picked the apples.
-
“Hits” in “She hits the ball” is active, while “hit” in “The ball was hit” is passive.
◊ The active voice is a way of writing or speaking that uses active verbs.
-
The sentence “The birds are singing” is written in the active voice.
b
of a verb
:
expressing action rather than describing the state of something
-
Words like “walk,” “sing,” and “eat” are active verbs.
-
In the sentence “Look at this picture,” the verb “look” is active.
— actively
adverb-
They participate actively in their church.
-
actively involved in a conversation
