Standard Lemma guide

deactivate

verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˌdiːˈæktɪveɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IY2 AE1 K T IH0 V EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

to make something inactive or no longer effective

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ergative

Examples

  • deactivate an account
  • deactivate a device
  • The technician deactivated the alarm system before repairs began.
  • You should deactivate your old account to protect your privacy.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

to prevent the action of a biochemical agent (such as an enzyme)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • chemically deactivate
  • The chemical agent was deactivated by exposure to heat.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

to remove a person or piece of hardware from active military service

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

to commit suicide

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Internet, euphemistic, neologism

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

make inactive

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they deactivated the file

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inactivate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: paralyze, paralyse

6

verb

Meaning 6

remove from active military status or reassign

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The men were deactivated after five years of service

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: discharge, muster out

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h1 Proto-Indo-European *déh1 Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē-der. English de- Proto-Indo-European *h2eǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *h2éǵeti Proto-Italic *agō Latin agō Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder. Latin -īvus ▲ Ancient Greek ἐνεργητῐκός (energētĭkós)sl. Latin āctīvusbor. Old French actifbor. Middle English actyf English active Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh2tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātuslbor. English -ate English activate English deactivate From de- + activate.

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: deaktivləşdirmək — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Catalan: desactivar — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Chinese Mandarin: 使無效 /使无效 (shǐ wúxiào) — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Esperanto: malaktivigi — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Esperanto: senaktivigi — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Finnish: deaktivoida — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Finnish: tehdä toimintakyvyttömäksi — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • French: désactiver — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • German: deaktivieren — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Greek: απενεργοποιώ (apenergopoió) — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Hindi: निष्क्रिय करना (niṣkriya karnā) — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Hungarian: hatástalanít — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Hungarian: inaktivál — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Hungarian: deaktivál — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Indonesian: menonaktifkan — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Italian: disattivare — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Kazakh: жансыздану (jansyzdanu) — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Malay: menyahaktifkan — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Māori: whakakaurapa — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Māori: taupāhohe — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Polish: dezaktywować — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Polish: zdezaktywować — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Portuguese: desactivar — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Russian: деактиви́ровать (deaktivírovatʹ) — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Russian: отключа́ть (otključátʹ) — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Russian: отключи́ть (otključítʹ) — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Russian: дезактиви́ровать (dezaktivírovatʹ) — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Serbo-Croatian: deaktivirati — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Spanish: desactivar — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Welsh: dadweithredoli — to make something inactive or no longer effective
  • Catalan: desactivar — to prevent the action of a biochemical agent
  • Finnish: deaktivoida — to prevent the action of a biochemical agent
  • German: unterbinden — to prevent the action of a biochemical agent
  • Russian: дезактиви́ровать (dezaktivírovatʹ) — to prevent the action of a biochemical agent
  • Serbo-Croatian: deaktivirati — to prevent the action of a biochemical agent
  • Russian: демобилизова́ть (demobilizovátʹ) — to remove a person or piece of hardware from active military service
Real reading context

deactivate in complete knowledge articles