English Meaning & Definitions
Not engaging in or involving any physical or mental activity; idle or dormant.
- “He has been physically inactive since his injury last winter.”
- “The volcano has remained inactive for over two centuries.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “inactive”.
Derived from the Latin 'in-' (not) + 'activus' (active), which stems from 'actus' (a doing or act), the past participle of 'agere' (to do, perform, or drive). The word entered English in the early 17th century to describe something not engaged in action or motion.
Think of 'in' (not) + 'active' (moving); if you are 'in-active', you are not moving.
Frequently Asked Questions About “inactive”
1. What is the meaning of “inactive” in English?
In English, inactive (adjective) is defined as: “Not engaging in or involving any physical or mental activity; idle or dormant.”.
2. How do you use “inactive” in a sentence?
“He has been physically inactive since his injury last winter.”
3. What are English synonyms of “inactive”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “inactive”?
Derived from the Latin 'in-' (not) + 'activus' (active), which stems from 'actus' (a doing or act), the past participle of 'agere' (to do, perform, or drive). The word entered English in the early 17th century to describe something not engaged in action or motion.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.