Aktiivi

Aktiivi is a Finnish term with multiple senses. As an adjective, it means active or energetic. As a noun, aktiivi denotes an active participant or member of a group, such as a club, association, or political movement. In organizational or political contexts, aktiivi often describes someone who takes initiative and contributes actively, contrasted with a passive member (passiivinen jäsen). In everyday language, phrases like aktiivinen henkilö or aktiivinen jäsen convey a proactive stance.

In electronics and related technical fields, aktiivi describes components that require an external power source to operate. Active components include transistors and integrated circuits, which can amplify signals or perform computational or control tasks. This contrasts with passive components, such as resistors, capacitors, and inductors, which do not require external power to function.

Etymology and related terms: The word originates from Latin activus, adopted into Finnish via Swedish aktiv and other European languages. Related forms include aktiivisuus (activeness or activity), aktiivinen (active, the adjective), and the opposite passiivisuus or passiivinen.