English · Word Candidate

active

/ˈæk.tɪv/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: actives

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

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

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

có sức mạnh hoặc chất lượng hoạt động

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

certain active principles

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

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

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

nhanh nhẹn trong di chuyển

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

an active child or animal

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

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

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

người hoặc thứ có thể hoạt động

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

"Alumni could become more active in giving guidance and leadership to students. They act as sort of a 'maturity governor' on fraternities," notes Ratliff, citing surveys suggesting that fraternity actives presume mistakenly that alumni want hazing […]

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

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

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Bất kỳ thành phần nào không bị động

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

Components are split into two broad segments: actives and passives. Active components like the vacuum tube and the transistor contain the power to generate and alter electrical signals.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “active” mean?

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

Is “active” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.