active voice

noun

grammar

: the voice (see voice entry 1 sense 5) of a verb, verb phrase, or sentence in which the person or thing represented by the grammatical subject performs the action represented by the verb

The sentence "She kicks the ball" is in the active voice because the subject (she) is doing the kicking.

Young readers respond better to the active voice than the passive voice, and a typical magazine article is tailored to grab the reader's attention.

—Kate Tsubata

compare passive voice

Word History

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined above