passive

1 of 2

adjective

pas·​sive ˈpa-siv 

1

a(1)

: acted upon by an external agency

(2)

: receptive to outside impressions or influences

b(1)

: asserting that the grammatical subject of a verb is subjected to or affected by the action represented by that verb

the passive voice

(2)

: containing or yielding a passive verb form

c(1)

: lacking in energy or will : lethargic

(2)

: tending not to take an active or dominant part

d

: induced by an outside agency

passive exercise of a paralyzed leg

2

a

: not active or operating : inert

b

: of, relating to, or making direct use of the sun's heat usually without the intervention of mechanical devices

a passive solar house

c

: latent

d

: of, relating to, or characterized by a state of chemical inactivity

especially : resistant to corrosion

e

of an electronic element : exhibiting no gain or control

f

: relating to the detection of an object through its emission of energy or sound

passive sonar

3

a

: receiving or enduring without resistance : submissive

b

: existing or occurring without being active, open, or direct

passive support

4

: of, relating to, or being business activity in which the investor does not actively participate in the generation of income

passively adverb

passiveness noun

passive

2 of 2

noun

pas·​sive ˈpa-siv 

1

: a verb form whose grammatical subject is subjected to or affected by the action represented by that verb : a passive verb form

2

: the passive voice of a language

Synonyms

Adjective

• acquiescent
• nonresistant
• resigned
• tolerant
• tolerating
• unresistant
• yielding

Choose the Right Synonym for passive

inactive, idle, inert, passive, supine mean not engaged in work or activity.

inactive applies to anyone or anything not in action or in operation or at work.

on inactive status as an astronaut

inactive accounts

idle applies to persons that are not busy or occupied or to their powers or their implements.

workers were idle in the fields

inert as applied to things implies powerlessness to move or to affect other things; as applied to persons it suggests an inherent or habitual indisposition to activity.

inert ingredients in drugs

an inert citizenry

passive implies immobility or lack of normally expected response to an external force or influence and often suggests deliberate submissiveness or self-control.

passive resistance

supine applies only to persons and commonly implies abjectness or indolence.

a supine willingness to play the fool

Examples of passive in a Sentence

Adjective

The destructive myth/legend of Herbert Hoover strikes again. The nation's 31st President has chronically been portrayed as passive in the face of the Great Depression and his successor, Franklin Roosevelt, as the exact opposite—an activist who, if he didn't actually cure the Depression, at least profoundly improved the nation's battered psychology. —Steve Forbes, Forbes, 30 June 2008

He believes that the time has come for Europeans to discard their passive role with respect to the United States and that Americans must be made to understand why. —Nicholas Fraser, Harper's, May 2006

Throughout the streets of Moscow last Wednesday, word of the ignominious flight of the Soviet Union's would-be junta brought a sense not of jubilation, but of quiet relief that a bloody civil war had been averted, and of satisfaction that the myth of the passive, obedient Russian people might be laid to rest. —Fred Hiatt, Washington Post, 26 Aug.-1 Sept. 1991

“Hits” in “She hits the ball” is active, while “hit” in “The ball was hit” is passive.

In “He was hit by the ball,” “hit” is a passive verb.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Swapping out the powered ankle for a passive spring device, Herr said, felt like stepping off a moving walkway at the airport. —Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

The jobs are not passive activities, as an in-game phone will notify you of new opportunities. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024

Noun

As with the the Coupe, the T.33 Spider uses passive rather than active dampers and doesn't even have a rear anti-roll bar. —Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 5 Apr. 2023

The latter passive-aggressively blames her for the Gilead Visitor's Center closure. —Matt Cabral, EW.com, 5 Oct. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English, from Latin passivus, from passus, past participle of pati

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Noun

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing passive

• passive-aggressive
• passive immunity
• passive-matrix
• passive resistance
• passive restraint
• passive smoking
• passive transfer
• passive transport
• passive vocabulary

Kids Definition

passive

1 of 2 adjective

pas·​sive ˈpas-iv 

1

a

: not active but acted upon

passive spectators

b

: indicating that the person or thing represented by the subject is acted on by the verb

"was hit" in "he was hit by the ball" is passive

2

a

: not operating

b

: of, relating to, or making use of the sun's heat usually without the aid of mechanical devices

3

: offering no resistance

passively adverb

passiveness noun

passivity

pa-ˈsiv-ət-ē 

noun

passive

2 of 2 noun

1

: a passive verb form

2

: the passive voice

Medical Definition

passive

adjective

pas·​sive ˈpas-iv 

1

a(1)

: lethargic or lacking in energy or will

(2)

: tending not to take an active or dominant part

a passive spouse

b

: induced by an outside agency

passive exercise of a paralyzed leg

2

a

: of, relating to, or characterized by a state of chemical inactivity

b

: not involving expenditure of chemical energy

passive transport across a plasma membrane

3

: producing passive immunity

passive immunotherapy

passively adverb

passiveness noun

Legal Definition

passive

adjective

pas·​sive ˈpa-siv 

: not involving, deriving from, or requiring effort or active participation

imposed a passive duty not to interfere

specifically : of, relating to, or being business activity in which the investor does not have immediate control over the income-producing activity

passive income

passive losses

Note: Under the Internal Revenue Code, there are two sources of passive income: rental activity and a business in which the taxpayer does not materially participate.

passively adverb

passiveness noun