passive
passive definition
pas·sive (pas′iv)
adjective
- influenced or acted upon without exerting influence or acting in return; inactive, but acted upon
- offering no opposition or resistance; submissive; yielding; patient
- taking no active part; inactive
- Chem. inert (sense )
- resistant to corrosion
- Finance of or relating to an investment that does not involve active participation in management, policy making, etc. passive losses
- Gram.
- denoting the voice or form of a verb whose subject is the recipient (object) of the action of the verb: opposed to active
- in or of the passive voice in “The tree was struck by lightning,” was struck is a passive construction
Etymology: ME passif < L passivus < passus: see passion
noun
- the passive voice
- a verb in this voice
Related Forms:
- passively pas′·sively adverb
- passiveness pas′·sive·ness noun
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