American Heritage Dictionary Entry: active HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key. Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window. guide to the dictionary THE USAGE PANEL The Usage Panel is a group of nearly 200 prominent scholars, creative writers, journalists, diplomats, and others in occupations requiring mastery of language. Annual surveys have gauged the acceptability of particular usages and grammatical constructions. The Panelists NEED HELP SOLVING A CROSSWORD PUZZLE? Go to our Crossword Puzzle Solver and type in the letters that you know, and the Solver will produce a list of possible solutions. -- AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP The new American Heritage Dictionary app is now available for iOS and Android. THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG The articles in our blog examine new words, revised definitions, interesting images from the fifth edition, discussions of usage, and more. OPEN DICTIONARY PROJECT Share your ideas for new words and new meanings of old words! Start Sharing Now! -- See word lists from the best-selling 100 Words Series! Find out more! INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES? Check out the Dictionary Society of North America at http://www.dictionarysociety.com ac·tive (ăktĭv) Share: Tweet adj. 1. Being in physical motion: active fish in the aquarium. 2. Functioning or capable of functioning. 3. a. Marked by energetic activity; busy: active stock and bond markets; spent an active day sightseeing. b. Involving or requiring physical exertion and energy: an active workout at the gym. 4. a. Being in a state of action; not quiescent: active hostilities along the border. b. Erupting or liable to erupt; not dormant: an active volcano. 5. a. Marked by or involving direct participation: took an active interest in politics; played an active role on the committee. b. Currently in use or effect: an active membership. c. Openly acknowledged or expressed: an active dislike of the new neighbors. 6. Producing an intended action or effect: active ingredients. 7. Grammar a. Indicating that the grammatical subject of a verb is performing or causing the action expressed. Used of a verb form or voice. b. Expressing action rather than a state of being. Used of verbs such as run, speak, and move. 8. Of or relating to the management of an investment portfolio by continually making investment decisions based on new information as opposed to maintaining a predetermined strategy or reproducing the returns of a market or index. 9. Electronics a. Being a source of electrical energy, as a generator. b. Capable of converting or amplifying voltages or currents, as a diode or transistor. 10. Being on full military duty and receiving full pay. n. 1. Grammar a. The active voice. b. A construction or form in the active voice. 2. A participating member of an organization: union actives. [Middle English actif, from Old French, from Latin āctīvus, from āctus, past participle of agere, to drive, do; see ag- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] active·ly adv. active·ness n. Synonyms: active, busy, energetic, vigorous, dynamic, lively These adjectives mean having or displaying energy. Active is the most general, connoting physical or mental exertion in a variety of contexts: an active toddler; an active imagination; remained active in later years by walking and swimming. Busy suggests engagement in sustained activity on a particular task or job: a busy newspaper staff rushing to meet the deadline. Energetic and vigorous emphasize performance of an activity or pursuit with enthusiasm or intensity: an energetic competitor; a vigorous crusader against drunk driving. Dynamic connotes energy and forcefulness that often inspire others or bring about change: a dynamic leader who revitalized the party. Lively suggests animated activity or alertness: a lively folk dance; a lively interest in politics. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved. Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices: Indo-European Roots Semitic Roots The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots. 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