interactive

American  

[in-ter-ak-tiv] / ˌɪn tərˈæk tɪv /

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.

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noun

1. a feature, activity, or medium that requires the active participation of the user, especially in a digital or educational context.

   Each chapter ends with an interactive to test what the reader has learned.

interactive British  

/ 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

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interactive Cultural  

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.

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Other Word Forms

• interactively adverb
• interactivity noun
• noninteractive adjective

Example Sentences

Eko—the company that runs the warehouse in Bentonville—started as an interactive video company but eventually zeroed in on interactive digital product pages and AI-ready product files, said Yoni Bloch, the company’s founder.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

In their previous interactive show “Sleep No More,” a reimagining of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” audiences could move freely as they chose characters to follow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

"Even the interactive whiteboard is a screen," she says.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

To support education and awareness, the researchers have released a curated deepfake dataset that includes interactive quizzes for training purposes.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

Kids raised in interactive environments—with zappers, Nintendos, computers, sophisticated games—often struggle in environments where adults stand for hours droning at them.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Related Words

• bilateral
• collective
• reciprocal