activate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make active; cause to function or act.
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Physics.
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to render more reactive; excite.
to activate a molecule.
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to induce radioactivity.
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to aerate (sewage) in order to accelerate decomposition of impure organic matter by microorganisms.
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Chemistry.
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to make (carbon, a catalyst, molecules, etc.) more active.
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to hasten (reactions) by various means, as heating.
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to place (a military unit or station) on an active status in an assigned capacity.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to make active or capable of action
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physics to make radioactive
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chem
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to increase the rate of (a reaction)
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to treat (a substance, such as carbon or alumina) so as to increase powers of adsorption
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physiol to prepare by arousal (the body or one of its organs (e.g. the brain)) for action
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to purify (sewage) by aeration
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military to create, mobilize, or organize (a unit)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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activationnoun
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activatornoun
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nonactivationnoun
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overactivateverb (used with object)
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superactivateverb (used with object)
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unactivatedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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activatesimple
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activatessimple
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have activatedperfect
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has activatedperfect
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am activatingprogressive
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are activatingprogressive
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is activatingprogressive
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have been activatingperfect progressive
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has been activatingperfect progressive
Past
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activatedsimple
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had activatedperfect
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was activatingprogressive
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were activatingprogressive
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had been activatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of activate
Explanation
To activate something is to start it off, trigger it, or set it in motion. A villain in a late-night movie might say, “Activate the robot chickens!” And then you’re free to activate your remote and change the channel. To activate something is to make it active. It’s not just for bad guys — when you activate a credit or library card, you can start using it. When a coach activates a player on a sports team, the player enters the game. If someone activates a bomb, you should run. If the pancakes you’re cooking burst into flames, you’ll probably activate the smoke alarm. And you should run.
Vocabulary lists containing activate
"Fears and Phobias," Vocabulary from the article
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"Creativity at Work" and "The Hidden Secrets of the Creative Mind"
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"Fears and Phobias"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Customers activate the wallet and eligible cards that their bank has already loaded into Paze.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
It also requested the Civil Guard activate psychological support for the family.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Many of today's cancer immunotherapies are designed to activate killer T cells, but only about 20% to 40% of patients experience meaningful benefits.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026
Google repeatedly encourages users to activate Location History.
From Slate ● Jun. 29, 2026
Kennedy kept Eisenhower’s system, flicking a switch under his desk to activate mics concealed around the room.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
It activates if one spouse decides to stay at home and give up a career.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Capsaicin activates receptors called TRPV1 receptors, producing the familiar burning sensation associated with spicy foods.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
They would simply make unmistakably clear that the executive cannot determine whether Congress’ statutory commands ever become operative by controlling the very event that activates them.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026
The declaration activates the city’s emergency response structure, directs departments to assess damages and costs, and requests state assistance to support firefighting, cleanup, environmental monitoring and community recovery efforts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026
At some point my shoes light up and the hover feature activates, so that I’m hanging upside down in midair.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
She looked through the list of merchants and activated two eligible cards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
TSMC, the world’s largest contract chip maker, said its local subsidiary activated emergency procedures and evacuated all personnel at its Kumamoto facility.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
They then activated that protein by feeding the bees a particular substance, allowing them to reduce activity only in the targeted circuits.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
On Wednesday the Welsh government activated "crisis management arrangements" to tackle the wildfires that have broken out across Wales.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Electricity had overwhelmed her circuits, but then her recovery program activated, and after a moment, she was fully functional again.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
Before activating my own Lightning Lane, I studied tutorials on Reddit and YouTube, where I learned that only suckers make a ride reservation and patiently wait for their designated time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
In preclinical experiments, combining telmisartan with olaparib increased DNA damage inside cancer cells while also activating important immune defenses.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
More time is devoted to setting up the dramatic situation than to activating it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
In 2022, Musk said he was activating Starlink in Iran following severe internet disruptions during protests sparked by the death in custody of an Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini.
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
The first Stormbreakers would have already begun leaving the plant, and in less than twenty-four hours the prime minister would be activating them.
From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
