Meanings
nounactivation (countable and uncountable, plural activations)
plural activations
- countableuncountableMaking active and effective; bringing into a state of activity.
Alarm activations cause the driver to have to stop the train - and in some cases walk back to reset it. The activations caused 1,032 minutes of delays and nine cancellations.
2021 November 3, “Network News: GA suffers cancellations and delays caused by alarm activations”, in RAIL, number 943, page 17 - countableuncountablenatural sciencesThe process of making a radioisotope by bombarding a stable element with neutrons or protons.
- countableuncountablebiochemistryThe process by which molecules are made able to react.
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eǵ-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂éǵeti
- Proto-Italic*agō
- Latinagō
- Ancient Greekἐνεργητικός (energētikós)
- Latināctīvu
- Old Frenchactif
- Middle Englishactyf
- Englishactive
- Englishactivate
- Englishactivation
From active + -ation, or from activate + -ion.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian активи́ране
- активи́ране (aktivírane)making active
Catalan activació
- activaciómaking active
Chinese Mandarin 激活
- 激活 (jīhuó)making active
Czech aktivace
- aktivacemaking active
Esperanto aktivigo, funkciigo
- aktivigomaking active
- funkciigomaking active
Finnish aktivointi, aktivaatio
- aktivointimaking active
- aktivaatiomaking active
- aktivointimaking radioisotope
- aktivaatioprocess through which molecules are made able to react
French activation, activation
- activationmaking active
- activationmaking radioisotope
- activationprocess through which molecules are made able to react
German Aktivierung, Aktivieren
- Aktivierungmaking active
- Aktivierenmaking active
- Aktivierungmaking radioisotope
Hungarian aktiválás
- aktiválásmaking active
Icelandic virkjun
- virkjunmaking active
Indonesian pengaktifan, aktivasi
- pengaktifanmaking active
- aktivasimaking active
Italian attivazione, attivazione
- attivazionemaking active
- attivazionemaking radioisotope
- attivazioneprocess through which molecules are made able to react
Polish aktywacja, uaktywnianie
- aktywacjamaking active
- uaktywnianiemaking active
Portuguese ativação, activação
- ativaçãomaking active
- activaçãomaking radioisotope
- ativaçãoprocess through which molecules are made able to react
Romanian activație, activare
- activațiemaking active
- activaremaking active
Russian актива́ция, активиза́ция
- актива́ция (aktivácija)making active
- активиза́ция (aktivizácija)making active
Slovak aktivizácia
- aktivizáciamaking active
Spanish activación, activación
- activaciónmaking active
- activaciónmaking radioisotope
- activaciónprocess through which molecules are made able to react
Tagalog sabilos, sabilos
- sabilosmaking active
- sabilosprocess through which molecules are made able to react
Turkish aktivasyon
- aktivasyonmaking active
Ukrainian актива́ція
- актива́ція (aktyvácija)making active
Vietnamese kích hoạt
- kích hoạtmaking active
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with activation
informationeducationlocationapplicationassociationadministrationorganizationcorporationregistrationAsianfoundationcommunicationpopulationnavigationstationaccommodationoperationpublicationvacationtransportationevaluationimplementationinstallationnation
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
activation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/activation
MLA
“activation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/activation. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “activation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/activation.
Source: activation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.