inactivate

verb

in·​ac·​ti·​vate (ˌ)i-ˈnak-tə-ˌvāt How to pronounce inactivate (audio)
inactivated; inactivating; inactivates

transitive verb

: to make inactive
chemicals to inactivate viruses
inactivation noun

Examples of inactivate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The 1st five years When Space Force was established in 2019, the existing U.S. Air Force Space Command was inactivated and all of its space units were assigned to Space Force. Brett Tingley, Space.com, 20 Dec. 2024 This treatment has been shown to inactivate 106 cfu/g of E. coli O157:H7, Listeria spp., Salmonella spp., or Staphylococcus spp. Aron Solomon, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024 When bird flu first showed up in dairy cows, the CDC and FDA assured the public that the virus was inactivated by pasteurization, rendering conventional milk safe (albeit full of harmless virus particles). Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2024 Both agencies also say that pasteurization, or heating milk, inactivates the virus. Alice Park, TIME, 14 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for inactivate 

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inactivate was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near inactivate

Cite this Entry

“Inactivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inactivate. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

inactivate

verb
in·​ac·​ti·​vate (ˈ)in-ˈak-tə-ˌvāt How to pronounce inactivate (audio)
: to make inactive
inactivation noun

Medical Definition

inactivate

transitive verb
in·​ac·​ti·​vate (ˈ)in-ˈak-tə-ˌvāt How to pronounce inactivate (audio)
inactivated; inactivating
: to make inactive: as
a
: to destroy certain biological activities of
inactivate the complement of normal serum by heat
b
: to cause (as an infectious agent) to lose disease-producing capacity
inactivate bacteria
inactivation noun
inactivator noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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