actively

ac·tive·ly
A1C3T1I1V4E1L1Y4
/ˈæktɪvli/

adverb

In an active manner.

“a word used actively”

Opposite
passively
OriginMiddle English actyvely →
CommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

adverbactively (comparative more actively, superlative most actively)

comparative more actively · superlative most actively

  1. In an active manner.

    He was actively listening.

    3 more examples

    She was actively working, not “sleeping on the job”.

    Defying this, Western queer culture actively defuses from cisnormative values, yet in so doing may also fuse with their new, queernormative value constructs.

    2020, Alex Stitt, ACT for Gender Identity: The Comprehensive Guide, page 202

    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.”

    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, archived from the original on 02 Aug 2025
  2. grammarIn the active form; not passive.

    a word used actively

    Antonyms: passively

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbIn the active form; not passive.

Opposite
passively

More synonyms by meaning

adverbin an active manner

Opposite
passively

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishactyvely
  2. Englishactively

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

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic بِنَشَاطٍ
  • بِنَشَاطٍ (binašāṭin)in an active manner
Bulgarian дейно
  • дейно (dejno)in an active manner
Catalan activament, activament
  • activamentin an active manner
  • activamentin the active form
Czech aktivně
  • aktivněin an active manner
Esperanto aktive
  • aktivein an active manner
Finnish vilkkaasti, aktiivisesti
  • vilkkaastiin an active manner
  • aktiivisestiin an active manner
  • aktiivisestiin the active form
French activement
  • activementin an active manner
German aktiv, active
  • aktivin an active manner
  • activein the active form
Hungarian aktívan
  • aktívanin an active manner
Italian attivamente
  • attivamentein an active manner
Latin active
  • activein the active form
Polish aktywnie
  • aktywniein an active manner
Portuguese ativamente
  • ativamentein an active manner
Russian акти́вно
  • акти́вно (aktívno)in an active manner
Spanish activamente, enérgicamente
  • activamentein an active manner
  • enérgicamentein an active manner
  • activamentein the active form
Swedish aktivt
  • aktivtin an active manner
Cite this entry
APA

actively. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/actively

MLA

“actively.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/actively. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “actively,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/actively.

Source: actively on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.