passive

[ pas-iv ]

adjective

1. not reacting visibly to something that might be expected to produce manifestations of an emotion or feeling.

   Antonyms: active

2. not participating readily or actively; inactive:

   a passive member of a committee.

   Antonyms: active

3. not involving visible reaction or active participation:

   to play a passive role.

   Antonyms: active

4. inert or quiescent.
5. influenced, acted upon, or affected by some external force, cause, or agency; being the object of action rather than causing action ( active def 6 ).
6. receiving or characterized by the reception of impressions or influences from external sources.
7. produced or caused by an external agency.
8. receiving, enduring, or submitting without resistance:

   a passive hypnotic subject.

   Synonyms: docile, submissive

   Antonyms: recalcitrant, resistant

9. Grammar.
   1. noting a voice in the inflection of the verb in some languages which is used to indicate that the subject undergoes the action of the verb. Latin portātur, “he, she, or it is carried,” is in the passive voice.
   2. noting or pertaining to a construction similar to this in meaning, as English He is carried ( active def 8 ).
10. Chemistry. inactive, especially under conditions in which chemical activity is to be expected.
11. Metallurgy. (of a metal) treated so as to impart impassivity.
12. Medicine/Medical. of or relating to certain unhealthy but dormant conditions; inactive, as opposed to active or spontaneous.
13. Telecommunications. designed to relay signals without electronic devices:

    a passive communications satellite.

14. (of a solar heating system) accumulating and distributing solar heat without the aid of machinery.

noun

, Grammar.

1. the passive voice.
2. a passive form or construction.

passive

/ ˈpæsɪv /

adjective

1. not active or not participating perceptibly in an activity, organization, etc
2. unresisting and receptive to external forces; submissive
3. not working or operating
4. affected or acted upon by an external object or force
5. grammar denoting a voice of verbs in sentences in which the grammatical subject is not the logical subject but rather the recipient of the action described by the verb, as was broken in the sentence The glass was broken by a boy Compare active
6. chem (of a substance, esp a metal) apparently chemically unreactive, usually as a result of the formation of a thin protective layer that prevents further reaction
7. electronics telecomm
   1. containing no source of power and therefore capable only of attenuating a signal

      a passive network

   2. not capable of amplifying a signal or controlling a function

      a passive communications satellite

8. finance (of a bond, share, debt, etc) yielding no interest

noun

1. grammar
   1. the passive voice
   2. a passive verb

Derived Forms

• ˈpassively, adverb
• pasˈsivity, noun

Other Words From

• pas·sive·ly adverb
• qua·si-pas·sive adjective
• sem·i·pas·sive adjective
• sem·i·pas·sive·ness noun
• un·pas·sive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of passive¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin passīvus literally, “submissive,” equivalent to pass(us) (past participle of patī “to experience, undergo, submit”) + -īvus adjective suffix; -ive

Word History and Origins

Origin of passive¹

C14: from Latin passīvus susceptible of suffering, from patī to undergo

Example Sentences

I wasn’t ever passive, I wasn’t ever mindless in what I was doing.

From Los Angeles Times

A slow start from the Slovakian, whose game revolves around power from the baseline, allowed Raducanu to move 5-1 ahead in the first set before becoming slightly passive as her opponent improved.

From BBC

To plumb deeper structure all the way down to Earth’s core, SinoProbe II will rely on several thousand “passive” seismometers across China, listening for earthquakes near and far.

From Science Magazine

Watson and Williams, respectively aggressive and deceptively passive, attack their roles with commitment.

From Los Angeles Times

With such a passive approach from the federal government, Russian interference in the U.S. political system and American culture is an inevitability.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• apathetic
• indifferent
• laid-back
• nonviolent
• quiet
• static
• unflappable
• uninvolved