I. ac ‧ tive 1 S2 W2 /ˈæktɪv/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ act , ↑ action ≠ ↑ inaction , ↑ activity ≠ ↑ inactivity , ↑ reaction , ↑ interaction , ↑ overacting ; adjective : ↑ acting , ↑ active ≠ ↑ inactive ; verb : ↑ act ≠ ↑ overact ; adverb : ↑ actively ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: activus , from agere ; ⇨ ↑ ACT 1 ]
1 . BUSY always busy doing things, especially physical or mental activities OPP inactive :
games for active youngsters
She’s over 80, but is still very active.
active life/lifestyle
My father always led a very active life.
active mind/imagination
a child with a very active imagination
2 . INVOLVED involved in an organization or activity and doing lots of practical things to achieve your aims:
He became politically active at college.
be active in (doing) something
The Bureau is active in promoting overseas investment.
take/play an active part/role in something
Encourage students to take an active part in discussions.
She took an active interest in local charities.
active participation/involvement
the importance of active participation by elderly people in the life of the community
We’re taking active steps (=doing practical things) to deal with the problem.
We maintain active links with other European universities.
active member/supporter
He is an active member of the Labour Party.
3 . FUNCTIONING operating in a way that is normal or expected OPP inactive :
The virus is active even at low temperatures.
4 . DOING SOMETHING doing something regularly:
sexually active teenagers
5 . VOLCANO an active ↑ volcano is likely to explode at any time:
The volcano became active last year with a series of eruptions.
6 . GRAMMAR an active verb or sentence has the person or thing doing the action as its ↑ subject . In ‘The boy kicked the ball’, the verb ‘kick’ is active ⇨ ↑ passive 1 (2)
7 . CHEMICAL producing a chemical reaction:
nicotine, the active ingredient in tobacco
—actively adverb :
Carol was actively involved in the local sports club.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ nouns
▪ an active life
He lived a full and active life.
▪ an active lifestyle
Studies show that an active lifestyle can reduce your chance of developing heart disease.
▪ an active mind (=when someone is able to think quickly and clearly)
A fit body is crucial if you want an active mind.
▪ an active imagination (=when someone is able to form pictures or ideas easily)
Some of the children have an overactive imagination.
■ verbs
▪ keep/remain active
We try to keep the patients active by taking them for a daily walk.
■ adverbs
▪ physically active
You need to become more physically active and eat less.
▪ highly/intensely active
an intensely active child
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ nouns
▪ an active role
Most men play a less active role in family life than women.
▪ an active part
Our members take an active part in fund-raising.
▪ an active member
She became an active member of the Geological Society.
▪ an active interest
As a teenager he began to take an active interest in politics.
▪ active participation/involvement (=in an activity or event)
Active participation in community life is important in small towns and villages.
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The school encourages the active involvement of parents.
▪ an active participant
The student must be an active participant in the learning process.
▪ active support (=encouragement or help)
He wrote the book with the active support of his wife, Pam.
▪ an active supporter
The company is an active supporter of animal rights groups.
■ phrases
▪ play an active role in something
Do you play an active role in your community?
▪ take an active part in something
Most of the students take an active part in sports.
▪ take active steps to do something
You should take active steps towards reducing stress.
▪ take an active interest in something
Not many young people take an active interest in gardening.
■ adverbs
▪ politically active
As a student, he was politically active.
▪ economically active
The proportion of men aged 65–69 who are economically active has decreased.
II. active 2 BrE AmE noun
the active the active form of a verb, for example ‘destroyed’ in the sentence ‘Enemy planes destroyed the village.’
⇨ ↑ passive 2