activer

Activer is a French verb meaning to activate, enable, or start something, and more broadly to provoke or stimulate a function or process. It is used in technology, everyday language, and scientific contexts to indicate making something operative or initiating a state.

Etymology and usage notes: Activer derives from Old French activer, from Late Latin activare, based on Latin activus meaning active. The word shares the same root as other terms linked to activity, activation, and active states. It is a regular first-group verb in French.

Conjugation overview: As a regular -er verb, activer follows standard endings. Present tense: j'active, tu actives, il/elle active, nous activons, vous activez, ils/elles activent. Passé composé: j'ai activé. Imperfect: j'activais, tu activais, il activait, nous activions, vous activiez, ils activaient. Future: j'activerai, tu activeras, il activera, nous activerons, vous activerez, ils activeront. Subjonctif: que j'active, que tu actives, qu'il active, etc. Past participle: activé. Infinitive: activer; present participle: activant.

Typical contexts and examples: In computing and devices, activer describes turning on a feature or account—for example, activer une fonction or activer un compte. In everyday use, it can mean starting a device or initiating a process, as in activer un service ou un système. In science and medicine, activer may refer to triggering a biological pathway or activating a protein. The verb often appears with objects such as une fonction, un dispositif, un système, or une protéine.

See also: activation, actif, désactiver. Activer is contrasted with désactiver to indicate turning off or deactivating a feature.