activate
/ˈæktɪˌveɪt/ verb
Forms activates activating activated
- verb (transitive) To encourage development or induce increased activity; to stimulate. “activate the economy”
- verb (transitive) To put a device, mechanism (alarm etc.) or system into action or motion; to trigger, to actuate, to set off, to enable. “The pranksters activated the fire alarm by spraying deodorant next to it.”
- verb (transitive, chemistry, physics) To render more reactive; excite.
- verb (transitive, biology) To render a molecule reactive, active, or effective in performing its function.
- verb (transitive, physics) To render a substance radioactive.
- verb (transitive, chemistry) To hasten a chemical reaction, especially by heating.
- verb (transitive, computing, software) To remove the limitations of demoware by providing a license; to unlock.
- verb (transitive) To aerate in order to aid decomposition of organic matter.
Synonyms
actuate enable get going set going set in motion set off spur start stimulate trigger turn on trip spark off spark trigger off touch off aerate
Antonyms
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “activate”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details