inactivate
VerbUS[in-ak-tih-veyt]/ˌɪˈnæktɪˌveɪt/4 syllables
Open English WordNet
Verb (2)inactivated, inactivating
- release from military service or remove from the active list of military serviceSynonyms: demobilizedemobiliseOpposite mobiliseMore general discharge, muster out
- make inactive“they deactivated the file”Synonyms: deactivateMore general change, alterMore specific paralyze, paralyse
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
inactivate transitive verb [past tense & past participle inactivated; present participle & verbal noun inactivating.]
to make inactive; as, boiling will inactivate most enzymes; acetylation of the antibiotic inactivated it. Syn. — deactivate.
☞ To inactivate an enzyme or chemical usually renders it permanently inactive; to inactivate a machine (as by turning a switch) may be reversible, and for machines and devices, the term deactivate is usually used. The distinction is worth preserving.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54 · with additions: +PJC, GCIDE editors, WordNet 1.5