"Dissipative". The use of the term "dissipative" is similar to that of "out of equilibrium" and indeed they are almost synonyms; any process that takes place spontaneously is, by definition, out of equilibrium and dissipative. However, the word dissipative also brings the focus towards the free energy that is being dissipated through the operation of the reaction network, which is an ongoing source of confusion, as we discuss at length next in the context of the word "fuel".