Etymology

activate

A1C3T1I1V4A1T1E1

Today it means: To encourage development or induce increased activity; to stimulate. Full definition →

English active ← Middle English actyf ← Old French actif
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eǵ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂éǵeti
  3. Proto-Italic*agō
  4. Latinagō
  5. Ancient Greekἐνεργητικός (energētikós)
  6. Latināctīvu
  7. Old Frenchactif
  8. Middle Englishactyf
  9. Englishactive
  10. English todayactivate

From active + -ate.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.