mid-14c.,actif,active, "given to worldly activity" (opposed tocontemplative ormonastic), from Old Frenchactif (12c.) and directly from Latinactivus, fromactus "a doing" (from PIE root*ag- "to drive, draw out or forth, move").

As "capable of acting" (opposed topassive), from late 14c. Meaning "energetic, lively" is from 1590s; that of "working, effective, in operation" (opposed toinactive) is from 1640s. The grammaticalactive voice is recorded from 1765; grammatical use ofactive, signifying performance and not endurance of an action, dates from mid-15c. (opposed topassive orreflexive).

"one who advocates a doctrine of direct action" in any sense, 1915; fromactive +-ist. Originally in reference to a political movement in Sweden advocating abandonment of neutrality in World War I and active support for the Central Powers. The word was used earlier in philosophy (1907).

word-forming element making nouns implying a practice, system, doctrine, etc., from French-isme or directly from Latin-isma,-ismus (source also of Italian, Spanish-ismo, Dutch, German-ismus), from Greek-ismos, noun ending signifying the practice or teaching of a thing, from the stem of verbs in-izein, a verb-forming element denoting the doing of the noun or adjective to which it is attached. For distinction of use, see-ity. The related Greek suffix-isma(t)- affects some forms.