51Թ

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View synonyms for

passive

[pas-iv]

adjective

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

    Antonyms:
  2. not participating readily or actively; inactive.

    a passive member of a committee.

    Antonyms:
  3. not involving visible reaction or active participation.

    to play a passive role.

    Antonyms:
  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 ).

  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: ,
    Antonyms: ,
  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 ǰٳܰ, “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 ).

  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

/ ˈæɪ /

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

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. grammar

    1. the passive voice

    2. a passive verb

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • passively adverb
  • quasi-passive adjective
  • semipassive adjective
  • semipassiveness noun
  • unpassive adjective
  • ˈ貹 adverb
  • 貹ˈٲ noun
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of passive1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin 貹īܲ literally, “submissive,” equivalent to pass(us) (past participle of 貹ī “to experience, undergo, submit”) + -īܲ adjective suffix; -ive
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of passive1

C14: from Latin 貹īܲ susceptible of suffering, from 貹ī to undergo
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"I think there's a misconception of it being very passive in possession for possession's sake," he told BBC Scotland.

From

It’s been striking to see how passive the party was in the face of this year’s onslaught, and how passive so much of it continues to be.

From

If the appeal is in controlling a character as they move through a story, where is the value in a more passive version of the story retracing the same steps without much deviation?

From

But serieswatchers are a passive audience and that left the show with a lot of options to tackle and/or leave out.

From

Dr Shin said the state was not a passive observer- it actively shaped adoption policy, setting annual quotas for overseas placements and even on occasion halted some adoptions.

From

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passivatepassive-aggressive