activity

noun ac·tiv·i·ty \ ak-ˈti-və-tē \

Updated on: 28 Nov 2017

Definition of activity

plural activities

1 : the quality or state of being active : behavior or actions of a particular kind

physical activity

criminal activity

economic activity

2 : vigorous or energetic action : liveliness

a scene of excitement and activity

3 : natural or normal function: such as

a : a process (such as digestion) that an organism carries on or participates in by virtue of being alive

b : a similar process actually or potentially involving mental function; specifically : an educational procedure designed to stimulate learning by firsthand experience

4 : an active force

5 a : a pursuit in which a person is active

business activities

social activities

b : a form of organized, supervised, often extracurricular recreation

The camp offers hiking, swimming, and other activities.

6 : an organizational unit for performing a specific function; also : its function or duties

the restaurant inspection activity of the health department

See activity defined for English-language learners

See activity defined for kids

Examples of activity in a Sentence

The holidays always set off a lot of activity in our home.
the sexual activity of married couples
The police are now monitoring criminal activity in the area.
She gets at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day.
The instruments are used to detect volcanic activity on the island.
We planned an activity for the children.

Recent Examples of activity from the Web

Take-out seems so common and not eating together is very common because kids have so many activities.

— rebecca mcbane, South Florida Parenting, "Back to Basics: Cooking classes teach children vital life skills," 1 Nov. 2017
This year's Blitz is an ideal activity for teams representing schools, churches, corporations and other organizations.

— The Courier-Journal, "Who helps take the chill out of winter?," 31 Oct. 2017
Along with Snaps of Tristan dancing and the two kissing, one photo in particular is causing a flurry of activity on Twitter, apparently confirming those pregnancy rumors.

— lauren rearick, Teen Vogue, "Fans Think Khloé Kardashian Hinted at Her Rumored Pregnancy With Game of Thrones Halloween Costume," 31 Oct. 2017
And these would be receptions ... and that was the activity.

— hunter woodall, kelsey ryan and bryan lowry, kansascity, "Sexual harassment of interns 'a regular occurrence’ in Kansas Capitol | The Kansas City Star," 31 Oct. 2017
Manufacturing activity in Texas rose overall in October despite spots of decline lingering from August and September due to Hurricane Harvey, a monthly survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas indicated Monday.

— david hendricks, San Antonio Express-News, "Texas manufacturing production, orders, hiring keep rising," 30 Oct. 2017
As three women spent hours viewing hundreds of short videos, a functional MRI machine measured signals of activity in the visual cortex and elsewhere.

— matthew hutson, Science | AAAS, "Artificial intelligence is learning to read your mind—and display what it sees," 27 Oct. 2017
Unlike donning scratchy costumes or climbing ladders to position a giant pumpkin head on the roof, eating is an activity that comes naturally.

— ana veciana-suarez, miamiherald, "Celebrating Halloween is like taking candy from a baby — literally," 24 Oct. 2017
The bill creates a framework for updating campaign finance law for the 21st century, making a broader swath of online activity subject to transparency requirements and the ban on spending by foreign nationals.

— ian vandewalker, Slate Magazine, "This Bill Would Help Stop Russia From Buying Online Election Ads," 19 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'activity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of activity

Middle English actyvete "active life," borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French activité "power of acting, exercise of this power," borrowed from Medieval Latin āctīvitāt-, āctīvitās (Late Latin, "active form of a verb"), from Latin āctīvus ¹active + -itāt-, -itās -ity

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

activity Synonyms

Synonyms

exercise, conditioning, exertion

ACTIVITY Defined for English Language Learners

activity

noun

Definition of activity for English Language Learners

: the state of being active : behavior or actions of a particular kind
: something that is done as work or for a particular purpose
: something that is done for pleasure and that usually involves a group of people

ACTIVITY Defined for Kids

activity

noun ac·tiv·i·ty \ ak-ˈti-və-tē \

Definition of activity for Students

plural activities

1 : energetic action

There is always activity around the holidays.

2 : something done especially for relaxation or fun Summer camp provides a variety of activities for kids.

Medical Dictionary

activity

noun ac·tiv·i·ty \ ak-ˈtiv-ət-ē \

medical Definition of activity

plural activities

1 : natural or normal function: as

a : a process (as digestion) that an organism carries on or participates in by virtue of being alive

b : a similar process actually or potentially involving mental function; specifically : an educational procedure designed to stimulate learning by firsthand experience

2 : the characteristic of acting chemically or of promoting a chemical reaction