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engaged in ; characterized by energetic work, partic-p-tion, etc.; busy:
an active life.
being in a state of existence, progress, or motion:
active hostilities.
involving physical effort and :
active sports.
having the power of quick motion; nimble:
active as a gazelle.
characterized by , motion, volume, use, partic-p-tion, etc.:
an active market in wheat; an active list of subscribers.
causing or change; capable of exerting influence (opposed to ):
active treason.
effective (opposed to ):
active ingredients.
grammar. noting or pertaining to a voice of verbal inflection in which typically the subject of the sentence is represented as performing the expressed by the verb (opposed to ): writes in he writes a letter every day is an active verb form.
requiring or giving rise to ; practical:
an active course.
(of a volcano) in eruption.
accounting. profitable; busy:
active accounts.
requiring personal effort or attention; not automatic:
an active alarm system.
interest-bearing:
active paper.
medicine/medical. acting quickly; producing immediate effects:
active remedies.
sociology. (of a crowd) engaging in purposeful , often of a militant nature.
compare (def 4).
aerosp-ce. able to transmit signals:
an active communications satellite.
electronics. (of a device or system) acting as a source of electrical energy, as a generator, or capable of amplifying or converting voltages or currents, as a transistor or diode.
(of a solar heating system) acc-mulating and distributing solar heat by mechanical means.
military. serving on .
grammar.

the active voice.
a form or construction in the active voice.

an active person, member, subscriber, etc.:
the circular was mailed only to the actives on our list.
informal. something showing considerable action or activity:
on the stock market there was heavy trading in the actives.
adjective
in a state of action; moving, working, or doing something
busy or involved: an active life
physically energetic
exerting influence; effective: an active ingredient
(grammar)

denoting a voice of verbs used to indicate that the subject of a sentence is performing the action or causing the event or process described by the verb, as kicked in the boy kicked the football compare p-ssive (sense 5)
another word for nonstative

being fully engaged in military service (esp in the phrase on active service)
(of a volcano) erupting periodically; not extinct compare dormant (sense 3), extinct (sense 3)
(astronomy) (of the sun) exhibiting a large number of sunspots, solar flares, etc, and a marked variation in intensity and frequency of radio emission compare quiet (sense 8)
(commerce)

producing or being used to produce profit, esp in the form of interest: active balances
of or denoting stocks or shares that have been actively bought and sold as recorded in the official list of the london stock exchange

(electronics)

containing a source of power: an active network
capable of amplifying a signal or controlling some function: an active component, an active communication satellite

noun
(grammar)

the active voice
an active verb

(mainly us) a member of an organization who partic-p-tes in its activities
adj.

mid-14c., “given to worldly activity” (opposed to contemplative or monastic), from old french actif (12c.) or directly from latin activus, from actus (see act (n.)). as “capable of acting” (opposed to p-ssive), from late 14c. meaning “energetic, lively” is from 1590s; that of “working, effective, in operation” is from 1640s. active voice is recorded from 1765 (grammatical use of active dates from mid-15c.).
advanced controls technology for integrated vehicles