Reactive
/riˈæktɪv/
Definitions
2 meaningsShowing a response to a stimulus or change; tending to react chemically or emotionally.
/riˈæktɪv/
Showing a response to a stimulus or influence
The chemical is highly reactive and should be handled with care.
💡 Simply: Imagine a dog that barks the moment it hears someone at the door. That dog is reactive, meaning it immediately responds to something happening around it. Like a fire that starts quickly when it's exposed to oxygen – it's a reactive process!
👶 For kids: When something happens, and you do something right away, that's reactive!
More Examples
Her reactive behavior often led to impulsive decisions.
The system is designed to be reactive to changes in the environment.
How It's Used
"A reactive metal will easily combine with other substances."
"He showed a reactive personality, always responding quickly to others."
"The reactive power in the circuit needs to be stabilized."
Responding negatively or defensively, often after something bad has happened.
/riˈæktɪv/
Marked by a tendency to respond in a negative way
His reactive anger often caused conflicts.
💡 Simply: Think of someone who gets angry or upset very quickly when something goes wrong – they're being reactive. It's like when you spill juice and get mad instead of cleaning it up.
👶 For kids: It's like when you get sad or mad because something bad happened.
More Examples
The company had a reactive marketing strategy, responding only after competitors moved.
The patient displayed a reactive symptom to the medication.
How It's Used
"The patient exhibited a reactive depression following the loss."
"The company's reactive approach to market changes led to lost opportunities."
Synonyms & Antonyms
From re- (again, back) + active. Active itself comes from the Latin actus, past participle of agere, to do.
The term 'reactive' started gaining popularity in scientific and psychological contexts in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, initially related to chemical reactions and later to human behavior.
Memory tip
Think of a race car that is quick to react to changes in the track or a chemical that readily reacts.
Word Origin
"to act again; to respond"