interactive

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˌɪn.təˈɹæk.tɪv/ (UK); /ˌɪn.tɚˈæk.tɪv/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is from interact, probably on the model of active,^[2][3] or from inter- and active.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Acting upon or influencing each other: 1832.^[2][5][4]

Semantic evolution

Of a computer or other electronic device that lets the user respond and receive an immediate reply, it is from 1967,^[5] and interactively from 1970.^[5] Interactive television, in which the viewer's responses affect the programme, is a later sense.^[6]

Timeline

• 1832 – acting on each other.^[5]
• 1967 – of a computer system.^[5]
• 1970 – interactively.^[5]

Modern meaning

Adjective

1. Acting or able to act upon each other.
2. Allowing two-way exchange of information between a user and a computer or other system.

Word family

• interactively
• interactivity
• noninteractive
• interactive fiction

Related words

• interaction
• interact
• active

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin