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 (active ).
-
receiving or characterized by the reception of impressions or influences from external sources.
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produced or caused by an external agency.
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receiving, enduring, or submitting without resistance.
a passive hypnotic subject.
- Synonyms:
- docile, submissive
- Antonyms:
- recalcitrant, resistant
-
Grammar.
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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 (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.
-
(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
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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
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finance (of a bond, share, debt, etc) yielding no interest
noun
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
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.
The researchers examined 24 pancreatic cancer samples and found that the stroma, the connective tissue that supports the tumor, plays an active role in cancer progression rather than serving as a passive structure.
From Science Daily
Zverev has lost all three of his Grand Slam finals and has often been accused of being too passive in the biggest matches.
From BBC
“Younger folks, especially younger men, are looking to get rich quick and also to build ‘passive wealth’ — all of which I think goes back to the aspiration gap,” Carmichael said.
From MarketWatch
Moving is when insurance stops being a passive cost for homeowners.
From Barron's
"New infrastructure, such as sustainable air conditioning or passive cooling, needs to be built out within the next few years to ensure people can cope with dangerous heat."
From Barron's
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.
