Meaning & use
active participant
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Meaning
nouncountable
a person who takes an energetic and involved part in an activity, group, or event
Grammar: Countable noun phrase; use 'a/an' for one, and 'active participants' for more than one.
Patterns
- an active participant in something
- become an active participant
- encourage someone to be an active participant
She was an active participant in the classroom discussion, asking questions and sharing ideas.
The workshop was successful because every attendee was an active participant, not just a listener.
As an active participant in the local choir, he attends rehearsals twice a week.
Word forms
| plural | active participants |
|---|
Common combinations
- active participant in
- He is an active participant in the debate club.
- become an active participant
- She became an active participant after joining the committee.
- encourage active participants
- The teacher encourages active participants by giving praise.
- a willing active participant
- He was a willing active participant in the project from the start.
Synonyms and how they differ
- contributor
- A contributor gives something (ideas, money, work) to a group; an active participant focuses on taking part in the activity itself.
- participant
- Participant simply means someone who takes part; adding 'active' stresses energy and involvement.
Opposites
Word family
- participate verb
- to take part in an activity
- participation noun
- the act of taking part
- actively adverb
- in an energetic or involved way
Commonly confused: active participant or active member?
active participant vs active member
An active member belongs to a group and takes part regularly; an active participant may not be a member at all, just someone who joins in.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'active participant' correctly.
Choose one answer.
The standard preposition after 'participant' is 'in': an active participant in something. 'Of' is used with 'member', not 'participant'; 'at' and 'on' are not used here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “active participant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.