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 (opposed to 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 (opposed to 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.

passives plural

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• passives
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

passive passives

He said the focus should be on "passive cooling" such as better designs, shading and ventilation.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Film critic Jenna Ipcar has described how “a perfect comedy duo will make their audience feel like a lucky participant instead of just a passive observer, a welcome guest in a secret world.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

But Gavriel adamantly challenges that approach as passive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

In other words, mentally active sitting may affect the brain differently from passive television viewing.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

He searched for animals that seemed passive or in pain.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

In the case of “have died”, though, neither patients nor passives come into it.

From Economist ● May 24, 2018

Promoters, passives and detractors have vastly different economic value to most companies.

From Forbes ● Sep. 20, 2012

In their attitude toward integration, Little Rock's Protestant and Jewish clergymen can be classified as "pushers," "powers" and "passives."

From Time Magazine Archive

It’s in the third person, and filled with zombie nouns like Extreme Exposure and passives like are more easily affected.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

The advice to bring zombie nouns back to life as verbs and to convert passives into actives is ubiquitous in style guides and plain language laws.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

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