Interactive describes something that responds to your actions and lets you participate actively. When you play an interactive video game, your choices and button presses change what happens on screen. An interactive museum exhibit might let you touch displays, answer questions, or conduct experiments yourself, where you directly engage with what you're learning instead of only reading signs behind glass.

The word comes from “interact,” which means to act together or influence each other. In something interactive, there's a back-and-forth exchange: you do something, and it responds. A movie is not interactive because you can't change what happens, but a “choose your own adventure” book is interactive because your decisions determine where the story goes.

Websites are often interactive, letting you click buttons, fill out forms, or play around with features. An interactive classroom discussion means students ask questions and share ideas, with everyone contributing their thoughts and building on each other's comments. Even a simple conversation is interactive because both people take turns speaking and responding to each other.

The opposite of interactive is passive, where you simply receive information without influencing it. Reading a regular book is passive. Playing a game where your choices matter? That's interactive.