reactive

adjective

re·​ac·​tive rē-ˈak-tiv 

1

: of, relating to, or marked by reaction or reactance

2

a

: readily responsive to a stimulus

b

: occurring as a result of stress or emotional upset

reactive depression

reactively adverb

reactiveness noun

Examples of reactive in a Sentence

The government's response to the problem was reactive rather than proactive.

Recent Examples on the Web

Many professionals often sense it as a creeping loss of perspective—when enthusiasm fades, originality wanes and decision making becomes reactive. —Rob Robinson, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025

Expert advice Lithium-ion batteries, which are used in power banks, are filled with materials which are highly reactive and highly flammable, according to Sonya Brown, senior lecturer in aerospace design at the University of New South Wales in Australia. —Francesca Street, CNN Money, 22 May 2025

This isn’t surprising; economic turbulence often triggers short-term, reactive thinking as executives fixate on immediate concerns like meeting or beating quarterly earnings expectations. —Josh Vandekar, Harvard Business Review, 20 May 2025

More than half of big US cities don't use chlorine, in part because free chlorine in water is highly reactive and has a short half-life and can interact with other substances to create harmful compounds thought to be carcinogenic. —Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 16 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1717, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing reactive

• C-reactive protein
• hyper-reactive
• reactive arthritis

Rhymes for reactive

• attractive
• contractive
• extractive
• inactive
• proactive
• refractive
• subtractive
• active
• tractive
• bioactive
• hyperactive
• interactive

Kids Definition

reactive

adjective

re·​ac·​tive rē-ˈak-tiv 

1

: of or relating to reaction

2

: reacting or tending to react

reactively adverb

reactiveness noun

reactivity

(ˌ)rē-ˌak-ˈtiv-ət-ē 

noun

Medical Definition

reactive

adjective

re·​ac·​tive rē-ˈak-tiv 

1

a

: of, relating to, or marked by reaction

reactive symptoms

a reactive process

b

: capable of reacting chemically

highly reactive materials

2

a

: readily responsive to a stimulus

the skin of the geriatric is less reactive than that of younger persons

—Louis Tuft

b

: occurring as a result of stress or emotional upset especially from factors outside the organism

reactive depression