activity

noun

ac·tiv·i·ty ak-ˈti-və-tē

plural activities

Synonyms of activity next

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

physical activity

criminal activity

economic activity

: vigorous or energetic action : liveliness

a scene of excitement and activity

: natural or normal function: such as

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

: a similar process actually or potentially involving mental function

specifically : an educational procedure designed to stimulate learning by firsthand experience

: an active force

: a pursuit in which a person is active

business activities

social activities

: a form of organized, supervised, often extracurricular recreation

The camp offers hiking, swimming, and other activities.

: an organizational unit for performing a specific function

also : its function or duties

the restaurant inspection activity of the health department

Example Sentences

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web Researchers have linked the increase in polar bear attacks to diminishing sea ice and more bears on shore, as well as to growing human activity in the Arctic, York said. —

Alena Naiden, Anchorage Daily News, 20 Jan. 2023 Manufacturing activity in the Mid-Atlantic region softened again in January. —

Fox News, 19 Jan. 2023 Eve after hearing reports of suspicious activity in the rental community, the arrest affidavit said. —

Amanda Rabines, Orlando Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2023 With the help of brain imaging technologies like electroencephalography (EEG), which measures electrical activity in the brain, neuroscientists have discovered that human brains synchronize with one another when people cooperate on a task. —

Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 17 Jan. 2023 All of these strikes involved thunderstorm activity in the vicinity, and the tower was struck several times by bolts that weren't associated with the laser's path. —

John Timmer, Ars Technica, 16 Jan. 2023 That is leaving the company scrambling for a way to keep showing ads targeted based on its Facebook and Instagram users’ online activity in the bloc. —

Sam Schechner, WSJ, 15 Jan. 2023 And Japan is increasingly anxious over greater maritime activity by the Chinese military in the East China Sea and around the Senkaku Islands, which is disputed territory between the two governments. —

Edward Wong, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Jan. 2023 Three public schools in Bristol were placed into a secure school protocol due to police activity in the area at the time, according to Deputy Superintendent Michael Dietter in a message to parents. —

Mike Mavredakis, Hartford Courant, 13 Jan. 2023 See More

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.

Word History

Etymology

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 active entry 1 + -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of activity was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century