| v. t. | 1. | To make active. |
| Verb | 1. | activate - put in motion or move to act; "trigger a reaction"; "actuate the circuits" |
| 2. | activate - make active or more active; "activate an old file" Antonyms: deactivate, inactivate - make inactive; "they deactivated the file" | |
| 3. | activate - make more adsorptive; "activate a metal" | |
| 4. | activate - aerate (sewage) so as to favor the growth of organisms that decompose organic matter Synonyms: aerate | |
| 5. | activate - make (substances) radioactive |