- 1 always busy doing things, especially physical activities Although he's nearly 80, he is still very active. opposite inactive Before our modern age, people had a more physical and active lifestyle. Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, become, keep (somebody), … adverbextremely, fairly, very, … prepositionagainst, in See full entry taking part
- 2 involved in something; making a determined effort and not leaving something to happen by itself They were both politically active. active involvement/participation/support/resistance She takes an active part in school life. The parents were active in campaigning against cuts to the education budget. They took active steps to prevent the spread of the disease. Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, become, keep (somebody), … adverbextremely, fairly, very, … prepositionagainst, in See full entry doing an activity
- 3 doing something regularly; functioning sexually active teenagers animals that are active only at night The virus is still active in the blood. an active volcano (= likely to erupt) opposite inactive compare dormant Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, become, keep (somebody), … adverbextremely, fairly, very, … prepositionagainst, in See full entry lively
- 4lively and full of ideas That child has a very active imagination. See related entries: Energetic chemical
- 5having or causing a chemical effect What is the active ingredient in aspirin? opposite inactive Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, become, keep (somebody), … adverbextremely, fairly, very, … prepositionagainst, in See full entry grammar
- 6 connected with a verb whose subject is the person or thing that performs the action In ‘He was driving the car’, the verb is active. compare passive See related entries: Grammar Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘preferring action to contemplation’): from Latin activus, from act- ‘done’, from the verb agere.Extra examples By the age of 18, 65% of teenagers report being sexually active. It’s important to remain mentally active after retirement. She has been active in local politics for some years. Try to keep active in the cold weather. When did you first become politically active? a businessman who is equally active in politics a highly active volcano drugs that are active against cancers Although he’s nearly 80, he is still very active. Before our modern age, people had a more physical and active lifestyle. Numbers of sexually active teenagers have continued to rise. The parents were active in campaigning against cuts to the education budget. These animals are active only at night.
busy
Check pronunciation: active
