rē+ verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: New Latin reactus, past participle of reagere, from Latin re- + agere to drive, act — more at agent
intransitive verb
1. : to exert a reciprocal or counteracting force or influence — often used with on or upon
exhausting work must react on human character — Samuel Van Valkenburg & Ellsworth Huntington
2. : to respond in a particular way to a particular treatment, situation, or other stimulus
reacted with instinctive indignation — J.P.Frank
— often used with to
was not sure how the patient would react to the drug
3. : to act in opposition to some force or influence — usually used with against
reacted against the threat of dictatorship — New School for Social Research Bulletin
reacting against mass ideologies — Henry Hewes
4. : to move in or tend toward a reverse direction : return to or toward a prior condition
public opinion wavered briefly but soon reacted in his favor
stock prices reacted strongly after a brief drop
5. : to undergo chemical reaction
transitive verb
: to cause to react ; specifically : to bring about a chemical reaction in
produces ethyl chloride by reacting chlorine with waste — Lamp
Synonyms: see act