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Reactive Common

Origin: Latin suffix -ive

Reactive has 3 different meanings across 1 category:

Adjective

Definitions
Adjective
1

participating readily in reactions

"sodium is a reactive metal"

"free radicals are very reactive"

2

reacting to a stimulus

"the skin of old persons is less reactive than that of younger persons"

3

that reacts or responds to a stimulus

"The immune system mounts a defensive response when it encounters an antigen, making it highly reactive to foreign invaders."

In plain English: Reactive means responding quickly to something that just happened instead of planning ahead.

"The team had to wait for a reactive response from management before they could move forward with their plan."

Example Sentences
"The team had to wait for a reactive response from management before they could move forward with their plan." adj
"The new policy created reactive measures instead of solving the root cause." adj
"Children with hyperactive behavior often struggle to stay focused in class." adj
"My immune system is very reactive to even minor changes in my diet." adj
Related Terms
Antonyms
unreactive

Origin

The word reactive comes from combining the verb react with the suffix -ive to describe something that responds or acts back. It entered English as a straightforward formation based on the existing concept of reacting.

Rhyming Words
vive zive give yive jive wive tive rive five bive dive live hive skive blive shive alive snive chive swive
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