The ability of a substance, such as a drug or chemical compound, to produce an effect in living organisms or cells.
Coined in the early 20th century from bio- (life, from Greek bios) + activity (from Latin activitas, meaning state of action or function).
Before scientists had this word, they couldn't easily talk about whether a chemical was just sitting there doing nothing or actually changing how your body works—it became the standard way to measure if a drug candidate is worth developing.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.