Noun
- 1. passive voice, passive, voice
- usage: the voice used to indicate that the grammatical subject of the verb is the recipient (not the source) of the action denoted by the verb; "`The ball was thrown by the boy' uses the passive voice"; "`The ball was thrown' is an abbreviated passive"
Adjective
- 1. passive (vs. active), inactive, hands-off, resistless, supine, unresisting
- usage: lacking in energy or will; "Much benevolence of the passive order may be traced to a disinclination to inflict pain upon oneself"- George Meredith
- 2. passive, peaceful, nonviolent (vs. violent)
- usage: peacefully resistant in response to injustice; "passive resistance"
- 3. passive (vs. active)
- usage: expressing that the subject of the sentence is the patient of the action denoted by the verb; "academics seem to favor passive sentences"
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All rights reserved.Definition and meaning of passive (Dictionary)