passive
Americanadjective
-
not reacting visibly to something that might be expected to produce manifestations of an emotion or feeling.
- Antonyms:
- active
-
not participating readily or actively; inactive.
a passive member of a committee.
- Antonyms:
- active
-
not involving visible reaction or active participation.
to play a passive role.
- Antonyms:
- active
-
inert or quiescent.
-
influenced, acted upon, or affected by some external force, cause, or agency; being the object of action rather than causing action (opposed to active).
-
receiving or characterized by the reception of impressions or influences from external sources.
-
produced or caused by an external agency.
-
receiving, enduring, or submitting without resistance.
a passive hypnotic subject.
- Synonyms:
- docile, submissive
- Antonyms:
- recalcitrant, resistant
-
Grammar.
-
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.
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noting or pertaining to a construction similar to this in meaning, as English He is carried (opposed to active).
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Chemistry. inactive, especially under conditions in which chemical activity is to be expected.
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Metallurgy. (of a metal) treated so as to impart impassivity.
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Medicine/Medical. of or relating to certain unhealthy but dormant conditions; inactive, as opposed to active or spontaneous.
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Telecommunications. designed to relay signals without electronic devices.
a passive communications satellite.
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(of a solar heating system) accumulating and distributing solar heat without the aid of machinery.
noun
-
the passive voice.
-
a passive form or construction.
adjective
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not active or not participating perceptibly in an activity, organization, etc
-
unresisting and receptive to external forces; submissive
-
not working or operating
-
affected or acted upon by an external object or force
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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
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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
-
electronics telecomm
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containing no source of power and therefore capable only of attenuating a signal
a passive network
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not capable of amplifying a signal or controlling a function
a passive communications satellite
-
-
finance (of a bond, share, debt, etc) yielding no interest
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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passivitynoun
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semipassivenessnoun
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quasi-passiveadjective
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semipassiveadjective
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unpassiveadjective
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passivelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of passive
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; see -ive
Explanation
Passive is the opposite of active. In English class, you might be advised to avoid the passive voice. In chemistry, a passive substance doesn't react. Passive resistance is a way to protest peacefully. When you're passive, you don't participate much and you're not very emotional. In chemistry, passive means to be "unreactive except under special or extreme conditions; inert." Gandhi used the term passive resistance in the mid-twentieth century to describe the nonviolent approach Indians should use in their quest to become an independent nation.
Vocabulary lists containing passive
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 5
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But we can’t be passive observers of a revolution that will reshape every dimension of human life.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026
They offer all-in-one simplicity and, since they are often passive, low cost.
From Salon • Jul. 9, 2026
In his own research, Brown’s team compared the effects of passive breaks against breaks with active cooling measures on the health of players participating in 90-minute soccer games in 104-degree heat and 41% humidity.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026
Japanese mutual funds and domestic Japanese ETFs get classified as passive foreign investment companies, or PFICs, and can be taxed quite heavily.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026
“Bob and I believe that the worst course of action is to continue in this essentially passive role which can lead only to eventual defeat and an invitation to get out in humiliating circumstances.”
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
