Meanings
adjectivereactive (comparative more reactive, superlative most reactive)
comparative more reactive · superlative most reactive
- That reacts or responds to a stimulus.
- businessCharacterized by induction or capacitance rather than resistance.
- Reacting to the past rather than anticipating the future, not predictive.
Synonyms & antonyms
Opposite
adjectiveparticipating readily in reactions
Opposite
adjectivereacting to a stimulus
Similar
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Italic*wre-
- Latinre-
- Old Frenchre-
- Middle Englishre-
- Englishre-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eǵ-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂éǵeti
- Proto-Italic*agō
- Latinagō
- Latināctus
- Latinācta
- Old Frenchact
- Middle Englishacte
- Englishact
- Englishreact
- Englishreactive
Translations
Bulgarian реактивен
- реактивен (reaktiven)(in chemistry) able to react
Catalan reactiu
- reactiu(in chemistry) able to react
Danish reaktiv, reaktionsdygtig
- reaktiv(in chemistry) able to react
- reaktionsdygtig(in chemistry) able to react
Hungarian reaktív, reakcióképes
- reaktív(in chemistry) able to react
- reakcióképes(in chemistry) able to react
Irish imoibríoch
- imoibríoch(in chemistry) able to react
Norwegian Bokmål reaktiv
- reaktiv(in chemistry) able to react
Polish aktywny
- aktywny(in chemistry) able to react
Russian реактивный
- реактивный (reaktivnyj)(in chemistry) able to react
Spanish reactivo
- reactivo(in chemistry) able to react
Turkish gerici
- gerici(in chemistry) able to react
Ukrainian реактивний
- реактивний (reaktyvnyj)(in chemistry) able to react
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with reactive
activeinteractiveattractiveinactiveradioactiveproactiverefractiveunattractivehyperactiveextractiveoveractiveimmunoreactivesubtractiveunderactivetractivefactivecontractiveabstractivecounteractivedetractivedistractiveenactivehyperreactivehypoactive
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
reactive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reactive
MLA
“reactive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reactive. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “reactive,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reactive.
Source: reactive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.