INACTIVE

inactive

(adjective) not active physically or mentally; “illness forced him to live an inactive life”; “dreamy and inactive by nature”

inactive

(adjective) not engaged in full-time work; “inactive reserve”; “an inactive member”

inactive

(adjective) lacking activity; lying idle or unused; “an inactive mine”; “inactive accounts”; “inactive machinery”

inactive

(adjective) (pathology) not progressing or increasing; or progressing slowly

passive, inactive

(adjective) lacking in energy or will; “Much benevolence of the passive order may be traced to a disinclination to inflict pain upon oneself”- George Meredith

dormant, inactive

(adjective) (of e.g. volcanos) not erupting and not extinct; “a dormant volcano”

inactive

(adjective) not exerting influence or change

inactive, motionless, static, still

(adjective) not in physical motion; “the inertia of an object at rest”

nonoperational, inactive

(adjective) (military) not involved in military operations

inactive

(adjective) (chemistry) not participating in a chemical reaction; chemically inert; “desired amounts of inactive chlorine”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

---

Etymology

Adjective

inactive (comparative more inactive, superlative most inactive)

Not active, temporarily or permanently.

Not functioning or operating; broken down

Retired from duty or service.

(chemistry) Relatively inert.

(physics) Showing no optical activity in polarized light.

Synonyms

• (not active): dull, dormant; see also inactive

• (not functioning or operating): idle

Antonyms

• (not active): active

Anagrams

• antivice, vaticine

Source: Wiktionary

---

In*ac"tive, a. Etym: [Pref. in- not + active: cf. F. inactif.]

1. Not active; having no power to move; that does not or can not produce results; inert; as, matter is, of itself, inactive.

2. Not disposed to action or effort; not diligent or industrious; not busy; idle; as, an inactive officer.

3. (Chem. & Opt.)

Definition: Not active; inert; esp., not exhibiting any action or activity on polarized light; optically neutral; -- said of isomeric forms of certain substances, in distinction from other forms which are optically active; as, racemic acid is an inactive tartaric acid.

Syn.

– Inert; dull; sluggish; idle; indolent; slothful; lazy. See Inert.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

---