Dictionary Definition
inactive adj
1 not participating in a chemical reaction;
"desired amounts of inactive chlorine"
2 not progressing or increasing; or progressing
slowly [ant: active]
3 not active or exerting influence [ant: active]
4 of e.g. volcanos; permanently inactive; "an
extinct volcano" [syn: extinct] [ant: active, dormant]
6 lacking in energy or will; "Much benevolence of
the passive order may be traced to a disinclination to inflict pain
upon oneself"- George Meredith [syn: passive] [ant: active]
7 lacking activity; lying idle or unused; "an
inactive mine"; "inactive accounts"; "inactive machinery" [ant:
active]
8 not engaged in full-time work; "inactive
reserve" ; "an inactive member of the department" [ant: active]
9 not active physically or mentally; "illness
forced him to live an inactive life"; "dreamy and inactive by
nature" [ant: active]
10 not engaged in military action [syn: reserve(a)]
User Contributed Dictionary
Adjective
- Not active, temporarily or permanently
- The volcano is inactive, but is only dormant.
- Not functioning
or operating; broken down
- The photocopier is inactive pending repair.
- Retired from
duty or service
- Admiral Jones is now on the inactive list.
- Relatively
inert
- Aluminium is inactive towards water.
- Showing no optical
activity in polarized light
- Synthetic glycine is optically inactive as it contains equal amounts of the d- and l- form.
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
Not active, temporarily or permanently
- Czech: nečinný
- Finnish: ei toiminnassa oleva
Not functioning or operating; broken down
- Finnish: rikki
Retired from duty or service
Relatively inert
Showing no optical activity in polarized
light
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
abeyant, apathetic, asleep, at a standstill, cataleptic, catatonic, contemplative, dead, deliberate, disengaged, do-nothing,
dopey, dormant, dull, easy, flat, foul, groggy, hasteless, heavy, idle, immobile, in abeyance, in
suspense, inanimate,
indolent, inert, inoperative, jobless, lackadaisical,
laissez-aller, laissez-faire, languid, languorous, latent, lazy, leaden, leisurely, lethargic, lifeless, listless, logy, meditative, motionless, neuter, neutral, ossified, out of work, pacific, paralytic, paralyzed, passive, peaceful, phlegmatic, placid, procrastinating,
quiescent, quiet, quietist, quietistic, relaxed, resting, sedentary, serene, slack, sleeping, sleepy, slothful, slow, sluggish, slumbering, smoldering, somnolent, stagnant, stagnating, standing, standpat, static, stationary, still, supine, suspended, tame, torpid, tranquil, unactive, unaroused, unemployed, unhasty, unhurried, unmoving, unoccupied, vegetable, vegetative