Main Entry: in·ac·tive

Pronunciation: \(ˌ)i-ˈnak-tiv\

Function: adjective

Date: 1664

: not active: as a (1) : sedentary (2) : indolent, sluggish b (1) : being out of use (2) : relating to or being members of the armed forces who are not performing or available for military duties (3) of a disease : quiescent c (1) : chemically inert (2) : optically neutral in polarized light d : biologically inert especially because of the loss of some quality (as infectivity or antigenicity)

— in·ac·tive·ly adverb

— in·ac·tiv·i·ty \-ˌnak-ˈti-və-tē\ noun

synonyms inactive, idle, inert, passive, supine mean not engaged in work or activity. inactive applies to anyone or anything not in action or in operation or at work <on inactive status as an astronaut> <inactive accounts>. idle applies to persons that are not busy or occupied or to their powers or their implements <workers were idle in the fields>. inert as applied to things implies powerlessness to move or to affect other things; as applied to persons it suggests an inherent or habitual indisposition to activity <inert ingredients in drugs> <an inert citizenry>. passive implies immobility or lack of normally expected response to an external force or influence and often suggests deliberate submissiveness or self-control <passive resistance>. supine applies only to persons and commonly implies abjectness or indolence <a supine willingness to play the fool>.