actively

English

Etymology

From late Middle English actyvely; equivalent to active +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈæktɪvli/
  • Hyphenation: ac‧tive‧ly
  • Audio (US):(file)

Adverb

actively (comparative more actively, superlative most actively)

  1. In an active manner.
    He was actively listening.
    She was actively working, not “sleeping on the job”.
    • 2020, Alex Stitt, ACT for Gender Identity: The Comprehensive Guide‎[1], page 202:
      Defying this, Western queer culture actively defuses from cisnormative values, yet in so doing may also fuse with their new, queernormative value constructs.
    • 2023 December 2, Tim Graham, “American Psychological Association Announces “Feeling Like Dying But Not Really Suicidal” New Baseline For Normal Mental Health”, in The Hard Times‎[2], archived from the original on 2 August 2025:
      It makes me feel better that I’m not the only one who fantasizes about being struck down by a meteor on my way to work. Mind you, I’m not actively suicidal at all. I just kinda think being dead without actually killing myself would be easier and way less exhausting.”
  2. (grammar) In the active form; not passive.
    Antonym: passively
    a word used actively

Derived terms

Translations

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