Definition of: active

(ak′tiv) adjective
1. Abounding in action; agile; lively; quick; brisk; busy.
2. Gram. a Designating a voice of the verb which indicates that the subject of the sentence is performing the action, as fires is in the active voice in The soldier fires the gun: opposed to passive b Describing verbs expressing action as distinguished from being and state, as run, hit, jump.
3. Being in or pertaining to a state of action: opposed to quiescent, extinct, or latent: an active volcano.
4. Causing or promoting action, or manifested in action; practical.
5. Bearing interest; also, consisting of cash or of property easily exchanged for cash.
6. Radioactive.
— noun Gram. The active voice. [<F actif, fem, active <L activus <agere do]
—ac′tive·ly adverb
—ac′tive·ness noun Synonyms: agile, alert, brisk, bustling, busy, diligent, energetic, expeditious, industrious, lively, mobile, nimble, prompt, quick, ready, restless, sprightly, spry, supple, vigorous. Active refers to both quickness and constancy of action; in the former sense it is allied with agile, alert, brisk, etc.; in the latter, with busy, diligent, industrious. The active enjoy employment, the busy are actually employed, the diligent and the industrious are habitually busy. The restless are active from inability to keep quiet; their activity may be without purpose, or out of all proportion to the purpose contemplated. The officious are undesirably active in the affairs of others. Compare ALERT, ALIVE, BUSY, MEDDLESOME. Antonyms: dull, heavy, idle, inactive, indolent, inert, lazy, quiescent, quiet, slow, sluggish, stupid.