transactivate

T1R1A1N1S1A1C3T1I1V4A1T1E1

verb

To make a host cell replicate the genetic components of a virus

OriginEnglish activate ← Middle English actyf ← Old French actif →
Scrabble 18
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Meanings

verbtransactivate (third-person singular simple present transactivates, present participle transactivating, simple past and past participle transactivated)

present singular third person transactivates · participle present transactivating · participle past transactivated · past transactivated

  1. To make a host cell replicate the genetic components of a virus

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*terh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*térh₂t
  3. Proto-Indo-European*tr̥h₂ónts
  4. Proto-Indo-European*tr̥h₂n̥ts
  5. Proto-Italic*trāns
  6. Proto-Italic*trāns-
  7. Latintrans-
  8. Englishtrans-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eǵ-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*h₂éǵeti
  11. Proto-Italic*agō
  12. Latinagō
  13. Ancient Greekἐνεργητικός (energētikós)
  14. Latināctīvu
  15. Old Frenchactif
  16. Middle Englishactyf
  17. Englishactive
  18. Englishactivate
  19. Englishtransactivate

From trans- + activate.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

transactivate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/transactivate

MLA

“transactivate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/transactivate. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “transactivate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/transactivate.

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