active

1 adjective

1 DOING THINGS always doing things or ready to do things, especially physical activities: We had an active holiday, sailing, swimming and water skiing. | She may be over 80, but she's still very active!

2 IN AN ORGANIZATION involved in an organization, activity etc and always busy doing things to help it: active member: an active member of the local Historical Society | be active in (doing) sth: He's very active in local politics. | She's been active in raising money for the new church buildings.

3 active efforts/discussions etc efforts, attempts etc to do something, solve a problem etc, that are made with continuous energy and determination: Active efforts are being made to reach a settlement.

4 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM technical operating in the way it is supposed to: The alarm becomes active when the switch is turned on.

5 MILITARY

a) on active service a soldier etc who is on active service is fighting in a war

b) on active duty AmE employed by the army etc, as opposed to being in the reserves reserve 2 (6)

6 VOLCANO likely to explode and pour out fire

7 GRAMMAR technical if a verb or sentence is active, the person or thing doing the action is the subject 1 (5) In `The boy kicked the ball', the verb `kick' is active.

-compare passive 1 (2)

8 CHEMICAL technical producing a reaction in a substance or with another chemical

- actively adverb: The two sides are actively engaged in discussions. 2 noun the active/the active voice technical the active form of a verb - compare passive 2