Does Active Preamp automatically mean...

[InhumanResource]

The active element in the pickup already is a preamp and/or buffer, but yes, you don't have to use separate one on top of that.

I realize this is a couple week old thread, but this here is the most concise and accurate answer in the whole thing. Whether you have a battery powering a preamp that is built into the pickup (a so called active pickup) or powering an on-board preamp that is separate from the pickups, the instrument is active.

Preamp = active
No preamp = passive