Activate means to set in motion, start up, or enable something to operate. It often refers to turning on a device, energizing a process, or initiating a procedure. In broader use, it can imply making someone more active or responsive. The term appears in tech, medicine, and daily language, carrying a sense of ignition or activation of potential.
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"When you press the power button, the system activates and boots up."
"The software license activates once you enter the product key."
"Vaccination activates the immune response to recognize the pathogen."
"The coach designed drills to activate the players’ energy before the game."
Activate comes from the late Latin activatus, past participle of ac̄tivāre, meaning to make active. The Latin root actus means ‘driven, acted,’ from agere ‘to drive, lead.’ The prefix ad- meaning ‘toward’ combined with actus yields act- to do or move. In English, activation appeared in the 16th-17th centuries in scientific and mechanical contexts, evolving from simply ‘to act’ to mean ‘to cause to operate,’ especially in machinery, devices, or processes. By the 19th century, “activate” was common in chemistry and biology (activate a catalyst, activate a protein). In modern usage, it spans technology (activate a device), security (activate an account), and behavior (activate a response), retaining the core sense of triggering movement, function, or energy. First known uses appear in technical manuals and scientific texts, but colloquial usage expanded in the late 20th century with computing and activation codes becoming ubiquitous.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "activate" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "activate" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "activate"
-ate sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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activate is stressed on the first syllable: /ˈæk.tɪ.veɪt/. Break it into syllables: ac- tive- ate. The initial vowel is a short ash /æ/ as in 'cat'. The second syllable uses a short /ɪ/. The final syllable ends with /veɪt/. When speaking quickly, maintain a crisp /t/ and avoid blending into /d/ or a weak /t/; keep the /ˈæk/ pitch prominent before the rest. For listening, you’ll hear strong initial emphasis with a clear final /veɪt/.
Common errors: misplacing stress (e.g., /ˈæktɪveɪt/), weakening the final /t/ resulting in /-veɪ/ or an extra sound like /ɪt/ after /veɪ/. Another mistake is pronouncing /æ/ as /æɪ/ or /eɪ/ in the first vowel. Correction: emphasize the first syllable, keep /æ/ pure, and clearly articulate the final /t/; practice with minimal pairs like /ˈæk.tɪ.veɪt/ vs /ˈækt.ɪ.veɪt/ to ensure the middle /ɪ/ isn’t merged. Also avoid glottalizing the /t/ in careful speech.
US/UK/AU share /ˈæk.tɪ.veɪt/, but differences appear in rhoticity and vowel quality. US tends to be rhotic with clear /r/ in connected speech when applicable, though not in this word. UK often features crisper consonants and less vowel rounding; AU is similar to UK but may show slightly more relaxed vowels in rapid speech. All use the same three syllables, but the velar plosive /t/ can be unreleased or flapped in rapid sequences in some US dialects; ensure /t/ is distinguishable in careful speech.
Three-syllable word with a schwa-like /ɪ/ in the middle can trip speakers. The challenge is maintaining even stresses and a clear final /veɪt/ without turning it into /veɪd/ or /veɪt/ with a strong release. Additionally, the combination of /k/ followed by /t/ requires a precise articulation to avoid a blended /kt/ that sounds odd. Practicing syllable-by-syllable breakdown helps you keep the timing and mouth positions clean.
A unique point is the way the final syllable peaks with /veɪt/, which can feel like a tiny pause before the end if you’re speaking quickly. You’ll want your tongue close to the alveolar ridge for the /t/ and lift your jaw slightly to maintain crispness in /veɪt/. Don’t reduce the final syllable too much; maintain a full /veɪt/ to preserve the word’s active meaning in speech.
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