inactive

adjective in·ac·tive \ (ˌ)i-ˈnak-tiv \

|Updated on: 13 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: inactive in a Sentence

Definition of inactive

: not active: such 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 (such as infectivity or antigenicity)

—

inactively

adverb

—

inactivity

play \(ˌ)i-ˌnak-ˈti-və-tē\ noun

See inactive defined for English-language learners

See inactive defined for kids

Examples of inactive in a Sentence

Inactive people suffer higher rates of heart disease.
it's easiest to catch snakes early in the morning, while they're still cold and inactive

Recent Examples of inactive from the Web

Spent most of his Pistons time on the inactive list.

— vince ellis, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Pistons grades: Few high performers in losing season," 14 Apr. 2018
The Magic moved Vaughn to their inactive list and activated Arron Afflalo.

— josh robbins, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Donovan Mitchell made positive impression on the Magic at NBA Draft Combine," 6 Mar. 2018
Some sarcastic applause from an inactive player should never warrant a technical.

— andrew joseph, For The Win, "An inactive D'Angelo Russell managed to get a technical for clapping at a ref from the bench," 15 Jan. 2018
Their risk for premature death was about 40 percent lower than for participants who had been and continued to be physically inactive.

— gretchen reynolds, New York Times, "For Survivors of Childhood Cancer, Walk," 20 June 2018
The storm has blanketed 14 million square miles of Mars, or about a quarter of the planet, which is currently inhabited only by active and inactive robots.

— glenn fleishman, Fortune, "NASA's Mars 'Opportunity' Rover May Be Lost in Massive Dust Storm," 13 June 2018
The system has been essentially inactive for more than a year.

— jon brodkin, Ars Technica, "Comcast disabled throttling system, proving data cap is just a money grab," 13 June 2018
Even though Perkins has been inactive on the Cavaliers bench, the vet has still be involved in the playoffs.

— alysha tsuji, For The Win, "Kendrick Perkins says Warriors shouldn't pick a battle with him: 'Choose that (expletive) wisely'," 5 June 2018
In contrast, Emanuel gets to choose four of the seven CTA directors (one seat is currently inactive), as well as the CTA president.

— john greenfield, Chicago Reader, "Transit boards overwhelmingly male, whiter than ridership," 22 May 2018

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

First Known Use of inactive

1664

in the meaning defined at sense a(1)

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

inactive Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of inactive

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.