Actif

Actif is a French term with several related meanings used in different contexts. As an adjective, actif means "active" or "energetic" and is used to describe people, organizations, or processes (for example, une personne active). The form agrees in gender and number: actif (masculine singular), active (feminine), actifs (masculine plural), actives (feminine plural).

In finance and accounting, actif is a technical noun meaning "asset." On a balance sheet, assets are listed as actifs, while liabilities are passifs. Actifs are typically divided into actifs circulants (current assets) and actifs immobilisés (non-current or long-term assets). Examples include cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, inventory, investments, property, plant and equipment, and intangible assets. The concept is used to describe resources controlled by an entity that are expected to generate future economic benefits.

In legal and economic writing, actif can appear in discussions of a company’s resources or in contexts comparing assets and obligations. The paired term passif denotes liabilities or obligations, forming the common contrast actif/passif in financial statements and related discourse.

Etymology and related forms: actif derives from Latin activus through Old French, sharing roots with other words linked to action and activity, such as activité (activity). The word appears in various Romance languages with similar meanings.

Overall, actif functions as both an everyday French adjective and a technical financial noun, with the precise sense determined by context.