interactive

[in-ter-ak-tiv]

adjective

1. acting one upon or with the other.

2. of or relating to a two-way system of electronic communications, as by means of television or computer.

   interactive communications between families using two-way cable television.

3. (of a computer program or system) interacting with a human user, often in a conversational way, to obtain data or commands and to give immediate results or updated information.

   For many years airline reservations have been handled by interactive computer systems.

interactive

/ ˌɪntərˈæktɪv /

adjective

1. allowing or relating to continuous two-way transfer of information between a user and the central point of a communication system, such as a computer or television

2. (of two or more persons, forces, etc) acting upon or in close relation with each other; interacting

interactive

1. If users receive real-time feedback from a computer so that they can modify the use of the machine, the hardware, software, or content, the system is said to be interactive.

Other Word Forms

• interactively adverb
• noninteractive adjective
• interactivity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of interactive¹

First recorded in 1825–35; inter- + active

Example Sentences

New interactive kiosks will help promote its scents in malls and train stations.

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The Diocese of Orange only agreed to sign off on the privately funded project after organizers promised it would offer interactive elements beyond text and images.

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The result: an interactive simulation that showed currents moving over a wing, with a slider allowing him to move the wing, change the currents and lift the plane into the air.

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In response, Gemini 3 produced an interactive comparison tool alongside information about pros and cons of each choice.

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In 1930, Doris Webster and Mary Alden Hopkins—a pair of American writers—published “Consider the Consequences,” an interactive novel with 43 possible endings.

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Related Words

• bilateral 
• collective 
• reciprocal