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PlainSpell

active

ac·tive/ˈæk.tɪv/adjective, noun

active is spelled A-C-T-I-V-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables (ac·tive). It appears 85 times per million words in written English, the 1,251st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, active means “Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting;–opposed to passive, that receives” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in active?

Letters6: A-C-T-I-V-E
Syllables2: ac·tive
In writing85 times per million words; the 1,251st most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is active?

Active appears 85 times per million words in written English, the 1,251st most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce active?

  • /ˈæk.tɪv/

Active has 2 syllables, split ac·tive in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-active.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of active

  • more active comparative
  • most active superlative
  • actives plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does active mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

adjective

  1. 1

    Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting;–opposed to passive, that receives.

    certain active principles

  2. 2

    Quick in physical movement; of an agile and vigorous body; nimble.

    an active child or animal

  3. 3

    In action; actually proceeding; working; in force

    active laws

  4. 4

    Emitting hot materials, such as lava, smoke, or steam, or producing tremors.

  5. 5

    Given to action; constantly engaged in action; energetic; diligent; busy

    an active man of business

  6. 6

    Requiring or implying action or exertion

    active employment or service

  7. 7

    Given to action rather than contemplation; practical; operative

    an active rather than a speculative statesman

  8. 8

    Brisk; lively.

    an active demand for corn

noun

  1. 1

    A person or thing that is acting or capable of acting.

  2. 2

    Any component that is not passive. See Passivity (engineering).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

How do you abbreviate active?

Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of active: a., act..

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Active in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchactif (having the quality or power of acting)
Germanaktiv (having the quality or power of acting), gewandt, flink (quick in physical movement), tätig (given to action), rührig (given to action rather than contemplation)
Portugueseativo (having the quality or power of acting), ativado (in action)
Spanishactivo (having the quality or power of acting)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does active come from?

From Middle English actyf, from Old French actif, from Latin āctīv(us), from agere (“to do, to act”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti. By surface analysis, act + -ive.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after active