passive

American  

[pas-iv] / ˈpæs ɪv /

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 ).

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 ).

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.

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noun

Grammar.

1. the passive voice.

2. a passive form or construction.

passive British  

/ 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

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noun

1. grammar

   1. the passive voice

   2. a passive verb

Other Word Forms

• passively adverb
• passivity noun
• quasi-passive adjective
• semipassive adjective
• semipassiveness noun
• unpassive adjective

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; -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.

Example Sentences

When major news breaks, viewers joke online about their passive consumption of the news by saying they’re simply monitoring the situation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

However, Apple was designated as a passive equity investor and didn’t take any board seats.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

"It shows that these non-pathogenic bacteria are not just passive residents but can actively manipulate human cells by injecting their proteins into our cells."

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026

Water technology made us passive water savers with devices like low-flush toilets, without too much sacrifice or even awareness on our part.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Marcus’s passive mask is gone, revealing the malicious face beneath it.

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

Related Words

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