reactive

adjective

re·​ac·​tive rē-ˈak-tiv 

1

: of, relating to, or marked by reaction or reactance

2

a

: readily responsive to a stimulus

b

: occurring as a result of stress or emotional upset

reactive depression

reactively adverb

reactiveness noun

Examples of reactive in a Sentence

The government's response to the problem was reactive rather than proactive.

Recent Examples on the Web

If the first phase of the GLP-1 beauty boom was reactive, the next is likely to be defined by prevention, personalization, and products built around the changing body. — Perdita Nouril, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026

If those factors are captured consistently and made visible to the right teams, ESG can actually influence business decisions rather than simply become reactive information collected for an annual report. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026

Ultimately, attacks like Cosnitch, and Microsoft’s statement, are reminders that LLM security is largely built on a list of reactive restrictions. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026

Scheduling heavy sessions late in the day, when decision fatigue sets in, increases the risk of reactive responses, rushed feedback, or leadership burnout. — Luciana Paulise, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1717, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing reactive

• C-reactive protein
• hyper-reactive
• reactive arthritis

Rhymes for reactive

• active
• tractive
• attractive
• contractive
• extractive
• inactive
• proactive
• refractive
• subtractive
• bioactive
• hyperactive
• interactive

Kids Definition

reactive

adjective

re·​ac·​tive rē-ˈak-tiv 

1

: of or relating to reaction

2

: reacting or tending to react

reactively adverb

reactiveness noun

reactivity

(ˌ)rē-ˌak-ˈtiv-ət-ē 

noun

Medical Definition

reactive

adjective

re·​ac·​tive rē-ˈak-tiv 

1

a

: of, relating to, or marked by reaction

reactive symptoms

a reactive process

b

: capable of reacting chemically

highly reactive materials

2

a

: readily responsive to a stimulus

the skin of the geriatric is less reactive than that of younger persons

—Louis Tuft

b

: occurring as a result of stress or emotional upset especially from factors outside the organism

reactive depression