ACTIVATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does activate mean? 

• ACTIVATE (verb)
  The verb ACTIVATE has 5 senses:

1. put in motion or move to act

2. make active or more active

3. make more adsorptive

4. aerate (sewage) so as to favor the growth of organisms that decompose organic matter

5. make (substances) radioactive

  Familiarity information: ACTIVATE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ACTIVATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they activate    ... he / she / it activates   
Past simple: activated   
Past participle: activated   
-ing form: activating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Put in motion or move to act

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

activate; actuate; set off; spark; spark off; touch off; trigger; trigger off; trip

Context example:

actuate the circuits

Hypernyms (to "activate" is one way to...):

initiate; pioneer (take the lead or initiative in; participate in the development of)

Cause:

come about; fall out; go on; hap; happen; occur; pass; pass off; take place (come to pass)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

activation (stimulation of activity in an organism or chemical)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make active or more active

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

activate an old file

Hypernyms (to "activate" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "activate"):

reactivate (activate (an old file) anew)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Antonym:

inactivate (make inactive)

Derivation:

activation (making active and effective (as a bomb))

activator ((biology) any agency bringing about activation; a molecule that increases the activity of an enzyme or a protein that increases the production of a gene product in DNA transcription)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make more adsorptive

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

activate a metal

Hypernyms (to "activate" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

activation (stimulation of activity in an organism or chemical)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Aerate (sewage) so as to favor the growth of organisms that decompose organic matter

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

activate; aerate

Hypernyms (to "activate" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

activation (stimulation of activity in an organism or chemical)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Make (substances) radioactive

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "activate" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

activation (stimulation of activity in an organism or chemical)

 Context examples 

Adenosine A3 receptor agonist CF102 selectively binds to and activates the cell surface-expressed A3AR, deregulating Wnt and NF-kB signal transduction pathways downstream, which may result in apoptosis of A3AR-expressing tumor cells.

(Adenosine A3 Receptor Agonist CF102, NCI Thesaurus)

APC is associated with beta-Catenin, which binds and activates E-Cadherin that controls formation and maintenance of epithelial adherens junctions.

(Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein, NCI Thesaurus)

Additionally, as a bystander effect, adjacent non-transfected cells may be killed by the activated antiviral drug.

(Ad5.SSTR/TK.RGD, NCI Thesaurus)

Subsequently, DCs may be activated and migrate, T-cells may expand, and a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response against tumor cells that overexpress hMUC-1 may follow.

(Ad-sig-hMUC-1/ecdCD40L Vaccine, NCI Thesaurus)

This signaling pathway activates the DCs and stimulates a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response against host tumor cells that express PSMA.

(Adenovector-transduced AP1903-inducible MyD88/CD40-expressing Autologous PSMA-specific Prostate Cancer Vaccine BPX-201, NCI Thesaurus)

After it is activated, the product is considered useable during the stability period.

(Medical Product Stability Date, NCI Thesaurus)

An orally bioavailable small-molecule inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAP2K, MAPK/ERK kinase, or MEK) 1 and 2 with potential antineoplastic activity.

(MEK 1/2 Inhibitor AS703988/MSC2015103B, NCI Thesaurus)

Megestrol binds to and activates nuclear receptors which subsequently bind to and activate target genes for transcription.

(Megestrol, NCI Thesaurus)

As a do all progestins, medroxyprogesterone binds to and activates nuclear receptors which subsequently bind to and activate target genes for transcription.

(Medroxyprogesterone, NCI Thesaurus)

Binding of thrombin further activates the platelets.

(Acute Myocardial Infarction Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)