Inaktiv

Inaktiv is a term used in German to describe something that is not currently active or functioning. It is formed from the prefix in- meaning “not” and aktiv meaning “active,” and it has cognates in other Germanic languages such as inaktiv in Norwegian and Swedish, as well as the English inactive. The word is used across different domains with related but distinct nuances.

In everyday language, inaktiv can refer to devices, accounts, machines, or people that are not presently engaged. For example, a computer that is powered but not running tasks may be described as inaktiv, and a user account can be labeled inaktiv if it is not activated or used.

In science and technology, inaktiv denotes a state of dormancy or lack of activity. In biology and biochemistry, an inactive enzyme or protein is not catalyzing its reaction; enzymes may be inaktiviert or exist in an inactive form until activated. In pharmacology and chemistry, substances can be described as inaktive or inaktiviert when they do not participate in a reaction under certain conditions. In pharmaceutical formulations, inactive ingredients (inaktive Bestandteile) are excipients that have no therapeutic effect.

The related nouns include Inaktivität (inactivity) and Inaktivierung (inactivation), the latter referring to the process that renders something inactive. Inaktiv is distinct from passiv in German, which emphasizes a lack of action rather than a specific functional state.