Where does “reactive” come from?

Reactive comes from English react, from Latin re- and actum, past participle of agō meaning to drive or do, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eǵ-.

reactive (English): that reacts or responds to a stimulus; that...

Definitions

  1. that reacts or responds to a stimulus; that...

Ancestry of “reactive”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-iveAn adjective suffix signifying relating or...
2Middle English-yfA suffix designating adjectives, adverbs and...
3Old French-if-ive
4Latin-īvusAdjective suffix
5Proto-Indo-European-iHwós
6Proto-Indo-European-wósCreates adjectives from verb stems

Words derived from “reactive

Every word from Proto-Indo-European -wós
reactive — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer