Dictionary

actively en · ADV

Pronunciation

• /ˈæktɪvli/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From late Middle English actyvely; equivalent to active + -ly.

Meanings

1. In an active manner.
   • It makes me feel better that I’m not the only one who fantasizes about being struck down by a meteor on my way to work. Mind you, I’m not actively suicidal at all. I just kinda think being dead without actually killing myself would be easier and way less exhausting.” 2023 December 2, Tim Graham, “American Psychological Association Announces “Feeling Like Dying But Not Really Suicidal” New Baseline For Normal Mental Health”, in The Hard Times, archived from the original on 02 Aug 2025:
   • Defying this, Western queer culture actively defuses from cisnormative values, yet in so doing may also fuse with their new, queernormative value constructs. 2020, Alex Stitt, ACT for Gender Identity: The Comprehensive Guide, page 202:
   • She was actively working, not “sleeping on the job”.
   • He was actively listening.
2. In the active form; not passive.
   • a word used actively

Forms

Antonyms

passively

Deriveds

retroactively · nonactively · bioactively

Translations (24)

gl activamente (in an active manner) · es activamente (in an active manner) · cs aktivně (in an active manner) · it attivamente (in an active manner) · fi aktiivisesti (in an active manner) · de active (in the active form) · fr activement (in an active manner) · fi aktiivisesti (in the active form) · kk белсене (in an active manner) · ar بِنَشَاطٍ (in an active manner) · pl aktywnie (in an active manner) · ca activament (in an active manner) · ru акти́вно (in an active manner) · sv aktivt (in an active manner) · fi vilkkaasti (in an active manner) · es activamente (in the active form) · la active (in the active form) · eo aktive (in an active manner) · es enérgicamente (in an active manner) · hy ակտիվորեն (in an active manner) · de aktiv (in an active manner) · pt ativamente (in an active manner) · ca activament (in the active form) · hu aktívan (in an active manner)