Inactivé

Inactivé is a French term meaning rendered inactive or deactivated. It functions as the past participle of the verb inactiver and as an adjective. In grammar it agrees in gender and number: inactivé (masculine singular), inactivée (feminine singular), inactivés (masculine plural), inactivées (feminine plural). The word is widely used across domains to indicate that something has been turned off, disabled, or made nonfunctional, such as a device, account, or process.

In biological and medical contexts, inactivation refers to removing biological activity. Pathogens or toxins can be inactivated by physical, chemical, or irradiation methods, producing an inactivated or killed agent. A common example is the inactivated vaccine, which uses a pathogen that has been treated to prevent replication while preserving antigenic properties. In genetics and biochemistry, inactivation can describe the loss of function of a gene, enzyme, or cellular pathway, either naturally or through experimental manipulation.

The term contrasts with activer (to activate) and with actif (active) or inactif (inactive in a more static sense). In common usage, inactivé may describe a device that has been disabled, an account that has been closed, or a feature that has been temporarily turned off. The usage is generally formal and technical, with context clarifying the precise meaning.