activity

noun ac·tiv·i·ty \ ak-ˈti-və-tē \

|Updated on: 14 Aug 2018

Examples: activity in a Sentence

Definition of activity

plural activities

1 : the quality or state of being active : behavior or actions of a particular kind

physical activity

criminal activity

economic activity

2 : vigorous or energetic action : liveliness

a scene of excitement and activity

3 : natural or normal function: such as

a : a process (such as digestion) that an organism carries on or participates in by virtue of being alive

b : a similar process actually or potentially involving mental function; specifically : an educational procedure designed to stimulate learning by firsthand experience

4 : an active force

5 a : a pursuit in which a person is active

business activities

social activities

b : a form of organized, supervised, often extracurricular recreation

The camp offers hiking, swimming, and other activities.

6 : an organizational unit for performing a specific function; also : its function or duties

the restaurant inspection activity of the health department

See activity defined for English-language learners

See activity defined for kids

Examples of activity in a Sentence

The holidays always set off a lot of activity in our home.
the sexual activity of married couples
The police are now monitoring criminal activity in the area.
She gets at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day.
The instruments are used to detect volcanic activity on the island.
We planned an activity for the children.

Recent Examples of activity from the Web

Jackson Road between Folsom Boulevard and South Watt Avenue was closed off for several hours due to the police activity, as was Florin Perkins Road from Kiefer Boulevard to Belvedere Avenue.

— julia sclafani, sacbee, "Man surrenders in SWAT standoff at Sacramento family home," 13 July 2018
The summer activities are available 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily through Sept. 3.

— weldon b. johnson, azcentral, "Arizona Snowbowl is offering new summer attractions," 12 July 2018
The activities inside are for children ages three to 10 (with an adult to accompany them).

— shari perkins, ajc, "The Insider's Guide to LEGOLAND Discovery Center," 11 July 2018
And that has resulted in more injuries from the activity.

— megan friedman, Popular Mechanics, "Honeymooning Couple in Fatal Ziplining Accident," 10 July 2018
In today’s world, sports have become the main activity for many kids, teens, and young adults.

— Cincinnati.com, "Stay healthy: Overuse injuries in one sport athletes," 9 July 2018
The recruiting activity hasn't slowed down since then, with that regular stream of campus visitors.

— jeff greer, The Courier-Journal, "U of L Insider: Why the next few weeks are vital for Chris Mack, Cards," 9 July 2018
What additional steps, if any, are taken by Google to verify that the activity of companies granted access to user’s email contents meets Google’s terms of service?

— jonathan vanian, Fortune, "Lawmakers Push Apple and Google to Reveal Data Collection Practices," 9 July 2018
The volcanic activity that started May 3 on Hawaii’s Big Island continues to transform the landscape, trigger earthquakes and force the partial closure of Volcanoes National Park, the Aloha State’s most popular tourist destination.

— latimes.com, "The lava continues to flow from Kilauea volcano, creating a ghostly spectacle," 8 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'activity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of activity

Middle English actyvete "active life," borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French activité "power of acting, exercise of this power," borrowed from Medieval Latin āctīvitāt-, āctīvitās (Late Latin, "active form of a verb"), from Latin āctīvus ¹active + -itāt-, -itās -ity

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

activity Synonyms

Synonyms

conditioning, exercise, exertion;

Related Words

training, warm-up, workout;

toning, trimming;

aerobics, athletics, bodybuilding, calisthenics, gymnastics, isometrics, weight lifting;

ACTIVITY Defined for English Language Learners

activity

noun

Definition of activity for English Language Learners

: the state of being active : behavior or actions of a particular kind
: something that is done as work or for a particular purpose
: something that is done for pleasure and that usually involves a group of people

ACTIVITY Defined for Kids

activity

noun ac·tiv·i·ty \ ak-ˈti-və-tē \

Definition of activity for Students

plural activities

1 : energetic action

There is always activity around the holidays.

2 : something done especially for relaxation or fun Summer camp provides a variety of activities for kids.

Medical Dictionary

activity

noun ac·tiv·i·ty \ ak-ˈtiv-ət-ē \

medical Definition of activity

plural activities

1 : natural or normal function: as

a : a process (as digestion) that an organism carries on or participates in by virtue of being alive

b : a similar process actually or potentially involving mental function; specifically : an educational procedure designed to stimulate learning by firsthand experience

2 : the characteristic of acting chemically or of promoting a chemical reaction