adj :  not active: as  a  :  marked by deliberate or enforced absence of activity or effort <forced by illness to lead an life>   b  of a disease  :  not progressing or fulminating  :  QUIESCENT  c (1) :  chemically inert < charcoal>  (2) :  not exhibiting optical activity in polarized light  d  :  biologically inert esp. because of the loss of some quality (as infectivity or antigenicity) in*ac*tiv*ity n pl  -ties  
 
 
 
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