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 ).

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.

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

Other Word Forms

• passively adverb
• passivity noun
• quasi-passive adjective
• semipassive adjective
• semipassiveness noun
• unpassive 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 have $1,300 a month in passive income that could end at any time.

Read more on MarketWatch

“Hoping that he can do a little self-reflecting on that series, and how aggressive he was outside of the strike zone, passive in the zone,” Roberts said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

And the current data understate the dominance of passive, valuation-blind index investing because many of the supposed “active” investors are closet indexers, St. James adds.

Read more on MarketWatch

They launched into this game with the ferocity of a full-blooded qualifier or major tournament fixture, overwhelming their passive visitors with three goals in the opening 20 minutes.

Read more on BBC

The firm did a string of transactions during the pandemic that involved taking passive minority stakes in fast-growing companies, some of which performed poorly.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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