reactive

adjective

Definition of reactivenext
as in spontaneous
done in immediate response to something especially without thinking or planning He realized his aggressive response to their criticisms had been reactive. The board stressed the need for a less reactive and more proactive approach to problem-solving.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reactive How Reaction Took Hold Of Airline Operations The dominant model in the industry remains reactive—detect a disruption, escalate, coordinate across silos and then recover. — Abha Dogra, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026 The skin barrier, which is the outermost protective layer of the skin, can also play an important role in how reactive skin is, says Alan Meyers, an R&D and formulation expert based in New Jersey. — Jenny Jin, Glamour, 29 Sep. 2026 Chalayan and his team had spent around six months developing the water-reactive material. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 26 Sep. 2026 Additionally, the metal has a non reactive layer of chromium oxide that further inhibits the strong chemical bond necessary for an actual seasoning to develop. — Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reactive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reactive
  1. spontaneous
  2. mechanical
  3. automatic
  4. mechanic
  5. conditioned
  6. simple
Adjective
  • Occasional moments of real, spontaneous joy emerge, and others reveal the crushing emptiness of lives going nowhere, but the script doesn’t lean too hard in either direction.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The charismatic and spontaneous Tammy Faye earned a reputation for speaking her mind, sometimes in off-color ways, that brought her legions of fans.
    — John Wigger, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of spontaneous
Adjective
  • Passes do not include pumpkins or entry to mechanical activities such as the bull ride.
    — Hali Smith October 8, Idaho Statesman, 8 Oct. 2026
  • He is saved by an enigmatic young mechanic who equips him with a custom mechanical arm.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of mechanical
Adjective
  • Some robo-advisors offer more customization and features, such as tax-loss harvesting, which uses losses to offset other portfolio gains, or automatic rebalancing.
    — Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Kelli Grant, CFP®, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • And not all of the proofs were certified as correct by the automatic logic verification platform Lean—in fact, some have already been retracted after outside scientists found mistakes.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of automatic
Adjective
  • Parched fields force hydroponic growers, vegetable farmers and fruit producers to halt harvests, sell off underfed livestock at rock-bottom prices and even return to mechanic jobs to survive.
    — Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • There are exceptions and one is Hig (Elordi), who before the virus hit was a mechanic living a good life with his pregnant wife and new puppy.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of mechanic
Adjective
  • As the protagonist Ben in Night of the Living Dead (1968), Duane Jones unveiled a distinct facet of pre-conditioned Black martyrdom.
    — Malik Peay, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2023
  • The new formula is infused with a luscious blend of flower oils so that lashes feel conditioned and supple to the touch.
    — Daisy Maldonado, SELF, 13 Sep. 2022
Definition of conditioned
Adjective
  • That single choice unleashes a harrowing chain of strange and terrifying events in the dead of night, turning a simple gesture of kindness into a real-life nightmare.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Waffles and pimento Another enduring element of Chick-fil-A is its famously simple menu.
    — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of simple

Browse Nearby Words

reactivations
reactive
reacts
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reactive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reactive. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of galore

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All