bioactive
|bi-o-ac-tive|
🇺🇸
/ˌbaɪoʊˈæktɪv/
🇬🇧
/ˌbaɪəʊˈæktɪv/
having biological activity
Etymology
'bioactive' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the prefix 'bio-' (from Greek 'bios' meaning 'life') and the adjective 'active' (from Latin 'activus' via Middle English), where 'bio-' meant 'life' and 'active' meant 'engaging in action'.
'bio-' comes from Greek 'bios' ('life'); 'active' descended from Latin 'activus' (from 'agere', 'to do'), passed into Old French and Middle English as 'active', and in the 20th century the compound 'bioactive' was coined in scientific contexts to denote 'having biological activity'.
Initially the parts meant 'life' and 'doing/action'; when combined in modern usage 'bioactive' came to mean 'having an effect on living systems' or 'producing a biological effect'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a substance (often a compound) that has biological activity; a bioactive agent or compound.
The study identified several bioactives responsible for the plant's medicinal effects.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
having biological activity; capable of affecting living organisms or biological processes (often used of compounds that produce a physiological effect).
Many mushrooms contain bioactive compounds that modulate the immune system.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 2
exhibiting an effect on living tissue or organisms (used in toxicology, pharmacology, and nutrition).
Researchers tested the bioactive properties of the plant extract on cultured cells.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/01 19:40