INACTIVE

Pronunciation (US):

• INACTIVE (adjective)
  The adjective INACTIVE has 10 senses:

1. not participating in a chemical reaction; chemically inert
2. not progressing or increasing; or progressing slowly
3. not involved in military operations
4. not exerting influence or change
5. of e.g. volcanos; not erupting and not extinct
6. lacking in energy or will
7. lacking activity; lying idle or unused
8. not engaged in full-time work
9. not active physically or mentally
10. not in physical motion

  Familiarity information: INACTIVE used as an adjective is familiar.

• INACTIVE (adjective)

Meaning:

Not participating in a chemical reaction; chemically inert

Context example:

desired amounts of inactive chlorine

Similar:

unreactive (not reacting chemically)

Meaning:

Not progressing or increasing; or progressing slowly

Similar:

quiescent (causing no symptoms)

latent (not presently active)

indolent ((of tumors e.g) slow to heal or develop and usually painless)

flat (commercially inactive)

dead-end (lacking opportunities for development or advancement)

arrested; in remission (having development checked or reversed)

Domain category:

pathology (the branch of medical science that studies the causes and nature and effects of diseases)

Antonym:

active (tending to become more severe or wider in scope)

Meaning:

Not involved in military operations

Synonyms:

nonoperational; inactive

Meaning:

Not exerting influence or change

Similar:

quiescent (not active or activated)

Antonym:

active (exerting influence or producing a change or effect)

Meaning:

Of e.g. volcanos; not erupting and not extinct

Synonyms:

dormant; inactive

Context example:

a dormant volcano

Similar:

quiescent (being quiet or still or inactive)

Attribute:

dormancy; quiescence; quiescency (a state of quiet (but possibly temporary) inaction)

Meaning:

Lacking in energy or will

Synonyms:

passive; inactive

Context example:

Much benevolence of the passive order may be traced to a disinclination to inflict pain upon oneself

Similar:

resistless; supine; unresisting (offering no resistance)

hands-off (not involving participation or intervention)

Attribute:

passiveness; passivity (the trait of remaining inactive; a lack of initiative)

Meaning:

Lacking activity; lying idle or unused

Context examples:

an inactive mine / inactive accounts / inactive machinery

Similar:

strikebound (closed or immobilized by a strike)

idle; unused (not in active use)

dull; slow; sluggish ((of business) not active or brisk)

dead (devoid of activity)

dark (not giving performances; closed)

Antonym:

active (full of activity or engaged in continuous activity)

Meaning:

Not engaged in full-time work

Context examples:

inactive reserve / an inactive member of the department

Similar:

off (not performing or scheduled for duties)

on leave (absent with permission from work or duty)

retired (no longer active in your work or profession)

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Antonym:

active (engaged in full-time work)

Meaning:

Not active physically or mentally

Context examples:

illness forced him to live an inactive life / dreamy and inactive by nature

Similar:

desk-bound; deskbound (restricted to working in an office rather than in an active physical capacity)

dormant (inactive but capable of becoming active)

hypoactive; underactive (abnormally inactive)

inert; sluggish; soggy; torpid (slow and apathetic)

sedentary (requiring sitting or little activity)

Also:

lethargic; unergetic (deficient in alertness or activity)

Attribute:

activeness; activity (the trait of being active; moving or acting rapidly and energetically)

Antonym:

active (characterized by energetic activity)

Meaning:

Not in physical motion

Synonyms:

motionless; still; static; inactive

Context example:

the inertia of an object at rest

Similar:

nonmoving; unmoving (not in motion)