inactivate

[ in-ak-tuh-veyt ]
See synonyms for inactivate on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),in·ac·ti·vat·ed, in·ac·ti·vat·ing.
  1. to make inactive: The bomb was inactivated.

  2. Immunology. to stop the activity of (certain biological substances).

Origin of inactivate

1
First recorded in 1905–10; inactive + -ate1

Other words from inactivate

  • in·ac·ti·va·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use inactivate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for inactivate

inactivate

/ (ɪnˈæktɪˌveɪt) /


verb
  1. (tr) to render inactive

Derived forms of inactivate

  • inactivation, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012