activate

ac-ti-vate · verb

imported

Definitions

verb

  1. 1.

    Make something active or operative; set in motion.

  2. 2.

    [biology]Cause a biological or chemical reaction to begin.

  3. 3.

    [military]Call up military personnel or units for active duty.

  4. 4.

    Make a device, service, or feature functional.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    activate an account — Enable access to an online service.
  • •
    activate a device — Turn on or enable a piece of equipment.
  • •
    voice-activated — Controlled by spoken commands.

Related words

Antonyms: deactivate, disable, stop, turn off
See also: activated, activation, active, deactivate
Synonyms: enable, initiate, start, switch on, trigger

Etymology

From Medieval Latin activatus, past participle of activare ("to make active"), from Latin activus ("active"), from actus ("a doing").