Active vs. Positive — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Active and Positive
ADVERTISEMENT
Compare with Definitions
Active
Engaging or ready to engage in physically energetic pursuits
Although he was seventy he was still robust and active
Positive
Characterized by or displaying certainty, acceptance, or affirmation
A positive answer.
Positive criticism.
Active
Pursuing an occupation or activity at a particular place or in a particular way
Sexually active teenagers
A politically active student body
Tigers are active mainly at night
The artist was active in the 1920s
Positive
Measured or moving forward or in a direction of increase or progress
Positive steps.
Active
(of a thing) working; operative
The old watermill was active until 1960
ADVERTISEMENT
Positive
Desirable, admirable, or beneficial
A woman with many positive qualities.
The positive features of this new software.
Active
Denoting a voice of verbs in which the subject is typically the person or thing performing the action and which can take a direct object (e.g. she loved him as opposed to the passive form he was loved).
Positive
Optimistic or constructive
A positive attitude.
Active
An active form of a verb.
Positive
Not disparaging or malicious
Ran a positive political campaign.
Active
Being in physical motion
Active fish in the aquarium.
Positive
Very confident; certain
I'm positive he's right.
Active
Functioning or capable of functioning.
Positive
Explicitly or openly expressed or laid down
A positive demand.
Active
Marked by energetic activity; busy
Active stock and bond markets.
Spent an active day sightseeing.
Positive
Admitting of no doubt; irrefutable
Positive proof.
Active
Involving or requiring physical exertion and energy
An active workout at the gym.
Positive
Concerned with practical rather than theoretical matters.
Active
Being in a state of action; not quiescent
Active hostilities along the border.
Positive
Of or relating to being or the possession of qualities rather than non-being or the absence of qualities
The question of the positive existence of evil.
Active
Erupting or liable to erupt; not dormant
An active volcano.
Positive
Of or relating to positivism.
Active
Marked by or involving direct participation
Took an active interest in politics.
Played an active role on the committee.
Positive
Of or relating to positive law.
Active
Currently in use or effect
An active membership.
Positive
Of or relating to religion based on revelation rather than on nature or reason alone.
Active
Openly acknowledged or expressed
An active dislike of the new neighbors.
Positive
(Informal) Utter; absolute
A positive darling.
Active
Producing an intended action or effect
Active ingredients.
Positive
Relating to or designating a quantity greater than zero.
Active
Indicating that the grammatical subject of a verb is performing or causing the action expressed. Used of a verb form or voice.
Positive
Relating to or designating the sign (+).
Active
Expressing action rather than a state of being. Used of verbs such as run, speak, and move.
Positive
Relating to or designating a quantity, number, angle, or direction opposite to another designated as negative.
Active
Of or relating to the management of an investment portfolio by continually making investment decisions based on new information as opposed to maintaining a predetermined strategy or reproducing the returns of a market or index.
Positive
Relating to or designating an electric charge of a sign opposite to that of an electron.
Active
Being a source of electrical energy, as a generator.
Positive
Of or relating to a body having fewer electrons than protons.
Active
Capable of converting or amplifying voltages or currents, as a diode or transistor.
Positive
(Chemistry) Of or relating to an ion, the cation, that is attracted to a negative electrode.
Active
Being on full military duty and receiving full pay.
Positive
(Medicine) Indicating the presence of a particular disease, condition, or organism
A positive test for pregnancy.
Active
The active voice.
Positive
(Biology) Indicating or characterized by response or motion toward the source of a stimulus, such as light
Positive tropism.
Active
A construction or form in the active voice.
Positive
Having the areas of light and dark in their original and normal relationship, as in a photographic print made from a negative.
Active
A participating member of an organization
Union actives.
Positive
(Grammar) Of, relating to, or being the simple uncompared degree of an adjective or adverb, as opposed to either the comparative or superlative.
Active
Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting;—opposed to passive, that receives.
Certain active principles
The active powers of the mind
Positive
Driven by or generating power directly through intermediate machine parts having little or no play
Positive drive.
Active
Quick in physical movement; of an agile and vigorous body; nimble.
An active child or animal
Positive
An affirmative element or characteristic.
Active
In action; actually proceeding; working; in force
Active laws
Active hostilities
Positive
(Mathematics) A quantity greater than zero.
Active
Emitting hot materials, such as lava, smoke, or steam, or producing tremors.
Positive
(Physics) A positive electric charge.
Active
Given to action; constantly engaged in action; energetic; diligent; busy
An active man of business
Active mind
Active zeal
Positive
A photographic image in which the lights and darks appear as they do in nature.
Active
Requiring or implying action or exertion
Active employment or service
Active scenes
Positive
The uncompared degree of an adjective or adverb.
Active
Given to action rather than contemplation; practical; operative
An active rather than a speculative statesman
Positive
A word in this degree.
Active
Brisk; lively.
An active demand for corn
Positive
(Music) A division of some pipe organs, similar in sound to the great but smaller and less powerful.
Active
Implying or producing rapid action.
An active disease
An active remedy
Positive
Not negative or neutral.
Active
About verbs.
Positive
(law) Formally laid down.
Active
Applied to a form of the verb; — opposed to passive. See active voice.
Positive
Stated definitively and without qualification.
Active
Applied to verbs which assert that the subject acts upon or affects something else; transitive.
Positive
Fully assured in opinion.
I’m absolutely positive you've spelt that wrong.
Active
Applied to all verbs that express action as distinct from mere existence or state.
Positive
(mathematics) Of number, greater than zero.
Active
Eligible to be processed by a compiler or interpreter.
Positive
Characterized by constructiveness or influence for the better.
Active
(electronics) Not passive.
Positive
Overconfident, dogmatic.
Active
(gay sexual slang) of a homosexual man enjoying a role in anal sex in which he penetrates, rather than being penetrated by his partner.
Positive
Actual, real, concrete, not theoretical or speculative.
Active
A person or thing that is acting or capable of acting.
Positive
(physics) Having more protons than electrons.
A cation is a positive ion as it has more protons than electrons.
Active
(electronics) Any component that is not passive. See Passivity (engineering).
Positive
(grammar) Describing the primary sense of an adjective, adverb or noun; not comparative, superlative, augmentative nor diminutive.
‘Better’ is an irregular comparative of the positive form ‘good’.
Active
Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting; - opposed to passive, that receives; as, certain active principles; the powers of the mind.
Positive
(grammar) Describing a verb that is not negated, especially in languages which have distinct positive and negative verb forms, e.g., Finnish.
Active
Quick in physical movement; of an agile and vigorous body; nimble; as, an active child or animal.
Active and nervous was his gait.
Positive
Derived from an object by itself; not dependent on changing circumstances or relations.
The idea of beauty is not positive, but depends on the different tastes of individuals.
Positive knowledge
Active
In action; actually proceeding; working; in force; - opposed to quiescent, dormant, or extinct; as, active laws; active hostilities; an active volcano.
Positive
Characterized by the existence or presence of distinguishing qualities or features, rather than by their absence.
The box was not empty – I felt some positive substance within it.
Active
Given to action; constantly engaged in action; energetic; diligent; busy; - opposed to dull, sluggish, indolent, or inert; as, an active man of business; active mind; active zeal.
Positive
Characterized by the presence of features which support a hypothesis.
The results of our experiment are positive.
Active
Requiring or implying action or exertion; - opposed to sedentary or to tranquil; as, active employment or service; active scenes.
Positive
(photography) Of a visual image, true to the original in light, shade and colour values.
A positive photograph can be developed from a photographic negative.
Active
Given to action rather than contemplation; practical; operative; - opposed to speculative or theoretical; as, an active rather than a speculative statesman.
Positive
Favorable, desirable by those interested or invested in that which is being judged.
The first-night reviews were largely positive.
Active
Brisk; lively; as, an active demand for corn.
Positive
Wholly what is expressed; colloquially downright, entire, outright.
Good lord, you've built up a positive arsenal of weaponry here.
Active
Implying or producing rapid action; as, an active disease; an active remedy.
Positive
Optimistic.
He has a positive outlook on life.
Active
Applied to a form of the verb; - opposed to passive. See Active voice, under Voice.
Positive
(chemistry) electropositive
Active
Chemical agent capable of activity
Positive
(chemistry) basic; metallic; not acid; opposed to negative, and said of metals, bases, and basic radicals.
Active
The voice used to indicate that the grammatical subject of the verb is performing the action or causing the happening denoted by the verb;
`The boy threw the ball' uses the active voice
Positive
(slang) HIV positive.
Active
A person devoted to the active life
Positive
(New Age jargon) Good, desirable, healthful, pleasant, enjoyable; (often precedes 'energy', 'thought', 'feeling' or 'emotion').
Active
Tending to become more severe or wider in scope;
Active tuberculosis
Positive
A thing capable of being affirmed; something real or actual.
Active
Engaged in or ready for military or naval operations;
On active duty
The platoon is combat-ready
Review the fighting forces
Positive
A favourable point or characteristic.
Active
Disposed to take action or effectuate change;
A director who takes an active interest in corporate operations
An active antagonism
He was active in drawing attention to their grievances
Positive
Something having a positive value in physics, such as an electric charge.
Active
Taking part in an activity;
An active member of the club
He was politically active
The participating organizations
Positive
(grammar) A degree of comparison of adjectives and adverbs.
Active
Characterized by energetic activity;
An active toddler
Active as a gazelle
An active man is a man of action
Positive
(grammar) An adjective or adverb in the positive degree.
Active
Exerting influence or producing an effect;
An active ingredient
Positive
(photography) A positive image; one that displays true colors and shades, as opposed to a negative.
Active
Full of activity or engaged in continuous activity;
An active seaport
An active bond market
An active account
Positive
The positive plate of a voltaic or electrolytic cell.
Active
In operation;
Keep hope alive
The tradition was still alive
An active tradition
Positive
A positive result of a test.
Active
Of the sun; characterized by a high level activity in sunspots and flares and radio emissions
Positive
Having a real position, existence, or energy; existing in fact; real; actual; - opposed to negative.
Active
Expressing that the subject of the sentence has the semantic function of actor:
Hemingway favors active constructions
Positive
Derived from an object by itself; not dependent on changing circumstances or relations; absolute; - opposed to relative; as, the idea of beauty is not positive, but depends on the different tastes individuals.
Active
Expressing action rather than a state of being; used of verbs (e.g. `to run') and participial adjectives (e.g. `running' in `running water')
Positive
Definitely laid down; explicitly stated; clearly expressed; - opposed to implied; as, a positive declaration or promise.
Positive words, that he would not bear arms against King Edward's son.
Active
(of e.g. volcanos) erupting or liable to erupt;
Active volcanos
An extinct volcano
Positive
Hence: Not admitting of any doubt, condition, qualification, or discretion; not dependent on circumstances or probabilities; not speculative; compelling assent or obedience; peremptory; indisputable; decisive; as, positive instructions; positive truth; positive proof.
Active
Producing activity or change
Positive
Prescribed by express enactment or institution; settled by arbitrary appointment; said of laws.
In laws, that which is natural bindeth universally; that which is positive, not so.
Active
Engaged in full-time work;
Active duty
Though past retirement age he is still active in his profession
Positive
Fully assured; confident; certain; sometimes, overconfident; dogmatic; overbearing; - said of persons.
Some positive, persisting fops we know,That, if once wrong, will needs be always.
Active
Being in physical motion;
Active fish in the aquarium
Positive
Having the power of direct action or influence; as, a positive voice in legislation.
Active
Characterized by energetic bodily activity;
Tennis is an active sport
A very physical dance performance
Positive
Corresponding with the original in respect to the position of lights and shades, instead of having the lights and shades reversed; as, a positive picture.
Positive
Electro-positive.
Positive
Designating, or pertaining to, a motion or device in which the movement derived from a driver, or the grip or hold of a restraining piece, is communicated through an unyielding intermediate piece or pieces; as, a claw clutch is a positive clutch, while a friction clutch is not.
Positive
Designating a method of steering or turning in which the steering wheels move so that they describe concentric arcs in making a turn, to insure freedom from side slip or harmful resistance.
Positive
That which is capable of being affirmed; reality.
Positive
That which settles by absolute appointment.
Positive
The positive degree or form.
Positive
A picture in which the lights and shades correspond in position with those of the original, instead of being reversed, as in a negative.
Positive
The positive plate of a voltaic or electrolytic cell.
Positive
A film showing a photographic image whose tones correspond to those of the original subject
Positive
Characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance or certainty etc.;
A positive attitude
The reviews were all positive
A positive benefit
A positive demand
Positive
Having a positive electric charge;
Protons are positive
Positive
Involving advantage or good;
A plus (or positive) factor
Positive
Indicating existence or presence of a suspected condition or pathogen;
A positive pregnancy test
Positive
Formally laid down or imposed;
Positive laws
Positive
Impossible to deny or disprove;
Incontrovertible proof of the defendant's innocence
Proof positive
An irrefutable argument
Positive
Of or relating to positivism;
Positivist thinkers
Positivist doctrine
Positive philosophy
Positive
Greater than zero;
Positive numbers
Positive
Marked by excessive confidence;
An arrogant and cocksure materialist
So overconfident and impudent as to speak to the queen
The less he knows the more positive he gets
Positive
Persuaded of; very sure;
Were convinced that it would be to their advantage to join
I am positive he is lying
Was confident he would win
Positive
Granting what has been desired or requested;
A favorable reply
A positive answer
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Nausea vs. Vomiting
Next Comparison
Skin vs. Complexion
