What does deactivate mean?
Word: Deactivate
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Deactivate means to switch something off or make it stop working.
Synonyms: switch off
Antonyms: activate, enable
How do you spell deactivate?
Syllables: de - ac - ti - vate
Tricky part: The start is de, not di or dis, because this prefix means undo.
Watch out for: deacktivate, diactivate, deactivatte
Memory tip: De undoes things: defrost undoes freezing, decode undoes a code, and deactivate undoes switching on.
Deactivate in a sentence
Example 1: Papa deactivated his old SIM card after getting a new one.
Example 2: Deactivate the alarm before you open the shop shutter.
Example 3: This game lets you deactivate the sound while you play.
Fun Fact
The middle part goes back to the Latin agere, to do or to drive, which also gave English the words agent and agenda.
Practise the CREST Way
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
tvaciedeat
a) deactivate
b) activated
c) captivated
d) reactivate
Show answer
a) deactivate. Activated is a letter short, reactivate needs an r and captivated a p, so deactivate is the only fit.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
deactivate
a) disable
b) charge
c) repair
d) install
Show answer
a) disable. To disable a machine is to stop it working, the same as deactivating it.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
deact_v_te
a) a, a
b) i, a
c) i, e
d) e, a
Show answer
b) i, a. The vowel after the v is i, as in active, and the vowel before the t is a.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) recharge
b) password
c) disconnect
d) deactivat
Show answer
d) deactivat. The word ends with a silent e, as in skate.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. When would you deactivate the alarm on a phone?
a) when you are already awake before it rings
b) when you need a reminder later
c) when you set it for a school day
d) when you want it to wake you early
Show answer
a) when you are already awake before it rings
2. If an account is deactivated, it is
a) shared with a friend
b) no longer working for now
c) given a new password
d) opened for the first time
Show answer
b) no longer working for now
