Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
Someone who is active moves around a lot or does a lot of things.
Having an active youngster about the house can be quite wearing.
...a long and active life.
ADJ
2.
If you have an active mind or imagination, you are always thinking of new things.
...the tragedy of an active mind trapped by failing physical health.
= lively
ADJ
3.
If someone is active in an organization, cause, or campaign, they do things for it rather than just giving it their support.
...a chance for fathers to play a more active role in childcare...
? passive
ADJ: oft ADJ prep
• actively
They actively campaigned for the vote.
ADV
4.
Active is used to emphasize that someone is taking action in order to achieve something, rather than just hoping for it or achieving it in an indirect way.
Companies need to take active steps to increase exports.
...active discouragement from teachers.
= positive
ADJ: ADJ n [emphasis]
• actively
They have never been actively encouraged to take such risks.
ADV: usu ADV with v
5.
If you say that a person or animal is active in a particular place or at a particular time, you mean that they are performing their usual activities or performing a particular activity.
Guerrilla groups are active in the province.
ADJ: usu v-link ADJ, usu ADJ prep
6.
An active volcano has erupted recently or is expected to erupt quite soon.
...molten lava from an active volcano.
? extinct
ADJ: usu ADJ n
7.
An active substance has a chemical or biological effect on things.
The active ingredient in some of the mouthwashes was simply detergent.
ADJ: usu ADJ n
8.
In grammar,
the active or
the active voice means the forms of a verb which are used when the subject refers to a person or thing that does something. For example, in 'I saw her yesterday', the verb is in the
active. Compare
passive.
N-SING: the N