active
from
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
active
adj 1: tending to become more severe or wider in scope; "active
tuberculosis" [ant: {inactive}]
2: engaged in or ready for military or naval operations; "on
active duty"; "the platoon is combat-ready"; "review the
fighting forces" [syn: {active}, {combat-ready},
{fighting(a)}]
3: disposed to take action or effectuate change; "a director who
takes an active interest in corporate operations"; "an active
antagonism"; "he was active in drawing attention to their
grievances" [ant: {inactive}, {passive}]
4: taking part in an activity; "an active member of the club";
"he was politically active"; "the participating
organizations" [syn: {active}, {participating}]
5: characterized by energetic activity; "an active toddler";
"active as a gazelle"; "an active man is a man of action"
[ant: {inactive}]
6: exerting influence or producing a change or effect; "an
active ingredient" [ant: {inactive}]
7: full of activity or engaged in continuous activity; "an
active seaport"; "an active bond market"; "an active account"
[ant: {inactive}]
8: in operation; "keep hope alive"; "the tradition was still
alive"; "an active tradition" [syn: {active}, {alive(p)}]
9: (of the sun) characterized by an increased occurrence of
sunspots and flares and radio emissions [ant: {quiet}]
10: expressing that the subject of the sentence has the semantic
function of actor: "Hemingway favors active constructions"
[ant: {passive}]
11: (used of verbs (e.g. `to run') and participial adjectives
(e.g. `running' in `running water')) expressing action
rather than a state of being [syn: {active}, {dynamic}]
[ant: {stative}]
12: (of e.g. volcanos) capable of erupting [ant: {extinct}]
13: (of e.g. volcanos) erupting or liable to erupt; "active
volcanos" [ant: {dormant}, {inactive}]
14: engaged in full-time work; "active duty"; "though past
retirement age he is still active in his profession" [ant:
{inactive}]
n 1: chemical agent capable of activity [syn: {active agent},
{active}]
2: the voice used to indicate that the grammatical subject of
the verb is performing the action or causing the happening
denoted by the verb; "`The boy threw the ball' uses the
active voice" [syn: {active voice}, {active}] [ant:
{passive}, {passive voice}]
3: a person who is a participating member of an organization;
"the club issues a list of members, both the actives and the
retirees"
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Active \Ac"tive\, a. [F. actif, L. activus, fr. agere to act.]
1. Having the power or quality of acting; causing change;
communicating action or motion; acting; -- opposed to
{passive}, that receives; as, certain active principles;
the powers of the mind.
[1913 Webster]
2. Quick in physical movement; of an agile and vigorous body;
nimble; as, an active child or animal.
[1913 Webster]
Active and nervous was his gait. --Wordsworth.
[1913 Webster]
3. In action; actually proceeding; working; in force; --
opposed to {quiescent}, {dormant}, or {extinct}; as,
active laws; active hostilities; an active volcano.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
5. Requiring or implying action or exertion; -- opposed to
{sedentary} or to {tranquil}; as, active employment or
service; active scenes.
[1913 Webster]
6. Given to action rather than contemplation; practical;
operative; -- opposed to {speculative} or {theoretical};
as, an active rather than a speculative statesman.
[1913 Webster]
7. Brisk; lively; as, an active demand for corn.
[1913 Webster]
8. Implying or producing rapid action; as, an active disease;
an active remedy.
[1913 Webster]
9. (Gram.)
(a) Applied to a form of the verb; -- opposed to
{passive}. See {Active voice}, under {Voice}.
(b) Applied to verbs which assert that the subject acts
upon or affects something else; transitive.
(c) Applied to all verbs that express action as distinct
from mere existence or state.
[1913 Webster]
{Active capital}, {Active wealth}, money, or property that
may readily be converted into money.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: Agile; alert; brisk; vigorous; nimble; lively; quick;
sprightly; prompt; energetic.
[1913 Webster]
from
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
157 Moby Thesaurus words for "active":
acting, active voice, activist, activistic, acute, aggressive,
agile, alert, alive, animated, assiduous, at work, bouncing,
bouncy, breezy, brisk, bubbly, bustling, busy, catty, chipper,
compliant, conforming, conscientious, constant, devoted, devout,
diligent, driving, duteous, dutiful, dynamic, ebullient, effective,
effectual, effervescent, efficacious, efficient, energetic,
enterprising, enthusiastic, expeditious, faithful, flexible,
forceful, forcible, frisky, full, full of go, full of life,
full of pep, functional, functioning, go-go, going, going on,
graceful, hearty, hyperactive, impelling, impetuous, in exercise,
in force, in hand, in motion, in operation, in play, in practice,
in process, in the works, inaction, incisive, industrious,
influential, intense, keen, kinetic, live, lively, living, loyal,
lusty, medio-passive, mercurial, meticulous, mettlesome, middle,
middle voice, militant, mindful, mobile, motile, motivational,
motive, motor, moving, nimble, observant, occupied, on foot,
on the fire, on the go, on the move, ongoing, operating,
operational, operative, passive, passive voice, peppy, perky, pert,
physical, potent, powerful, practicing, prompt, propellant,
propelling, punctilious, punctual, quick, quicksilver, ready,
reflexive, regardful, robust, running, rushing, scrupulous,
smacking, snappy, spanking, spirited, sprightly, spry, stirring,
strenuous, strong, supple, take-charge, take-over, transitional,
traveling, trenchant, true, vibrant, vigorous, vivacious, vivid,
voice, wide-awake, working, zestful, zesty, zingy, zippy
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