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



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Word of the Day

18 April 2025

GROIN

(noun) the crease at the junction of the inner part of the thigh with the trunk together with the adjacent region and often including the external genitals


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Coffee Trivia

Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.

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