pas·sive (p s  v)adj. 1. Receiving or subjected to an action without responding or initiating an action in return: the mind viewed as a passive receptacle for sensory experience. See Synonyms at inactive. 2. Accepting or submitting without objection or resistance; submissive: a passive acceptance of one's fate. 3. Existing, conducted, or experienced without active or concerted effort: "Although tick paralysis is a reportable disease in Washington, surveillance is passive, and only 10 cases were reported during 1987-1995" (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). "[Many parents believe] that computers are educational and, at the least, less passive than television" (Tamar Lewin). 4. Of, relating to, or being certain bonds or shares that do not bear financial interest. 5. Of, relating to, or being a solar heating or cooling system that uses no external mechanical power. 6. Grammar Of, relating to, or being a verb form or voice used to indicate that the grammatical subject is the object of the action or the effect of the verb. For example, in the sentence They were impressed by his manner, were impressed is in the passive voice. 7. Chemistry Unreactive except under special or extreme conditions; inert. 8. Electronics Exhibiting no gain or contributing no energy: a passive circuit element. 9. Psychology Relating to or characteristic of an inactive or submissive role in a relationship, especially a sexual relationship. n. 1. Grammar a. The passive voice. b. A verb or construction in the passive voice. 2. One that is submissive or inactive. Often used in the plural: "And the rest of us, we passives of the world, proceeded . . . as if nothing untoward had happened" (Martin Gottfried). [Middle English, from Old French passif, from Latin pass  vus, subject to emotion, the passive, from passus, past participle of pat, to suffer; see p (i)- in Indo-European roots.]pas sive·ly adv.pas sive·ness n. |
passive [ˈpæsɪv]
adj
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. (Linguistics / Grammar) 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 [5a]
6. (Chemistry) 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) (Electronics & Computer Science / Telecommunications) Electronics Telecomm
a. containing no source of power and therefore capable only of attenuating a signal a passive network
b. not capable of amplifying a signal or controlling a function a passive communications satellite
8. (Economics, Accounting & Finance / Banking & Finance) Finance (of a bond, share, debt, etc.) yielding no interest
n
(Linguistics / Grammar) Grammar
a. the passive voice
b. a passive verb
[from Latin passīvus susceptible of suffering, from patī to undergo]
passively adv
passivity , passiveness n
In surveillance, an adjective applied to actions or equipments which emit no energy capable of being detected.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | passive - 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" voice - (linguistics) the grammatical relation (active or passive) of the grammatical subject of a verb to the action that the verb denotes |
| Adj. | 1. | passive - lacking in energy or will; "Much benevolence of the passive order may be traced to a disinclination to inflict pain upon oneself"- George Meredith active - disposed to take action or effectuate change; "a director who takes an active interest in corporate operations"; "an active antagonism"; "he was active in drawing attention to their grievances" |
| 2. | passive - peacefully resistant in response to injustice; "passive resistance" nonviolent - abstaining (on principle) from the use of violence | |
| 3. | passive - expressing that the subject of the sentence is the patient of the action denoted by the verb; "academics seem to favor passive sentences" grammar - the branch of linguistics that deals with syntax and morphology (and sometimes also deals with semantics) active - expressing that the subject of the sentence has the semantic function of actor: "Hemingway favors active constructions" |
passive
adjective
1. submissive, resigned, compliant, receptive, lifeless, docile, nonviolent, quiescent, acquiescent, unassertive, unresisting their passive acceptance of the new regime
submissive spirited, violent, lively, energetic, defiant, assertive, rebellious, feisty (informal, chiefly U.S. & Canad.), bossy (informal), domineering, zippy (informal)
submissive spirited, violent, lively, energetic, defiant, assertive, rebellious, feisty (informal, chiefly U.S. & Canad.), bossy (informal), domineering, zippy (informal)
2. inactive, inert, uninvolved, non-participating He took a passive role in the interview.
inactive involved, active
inactive involved, active
Translations
passive [ˈpæsɪv]
passive [ˈpæsɪv]
adj
[person, attitude] → passif/ive
(GRAMMAR) [voice] → passif/ive
n (GRAMMAR) the passive → le passif
passive
passive:
adj
→ passiv; acceptance → widerspruchslos, widerstandslos
passive:
passive resistance
n → passiver Widerstand
passive smoker
n → Passivraucher(in) m(f), → passiver Raucher, passive Raucherin
passive smoking
n → passives Rauchen, Passivrauchen nt
passive vocabulary
n → passiver Wortschatz
adj passive [ˈpӕsiv]
1 showing no interest, emotion etc, or not resisting an attack etc The villagers showed passive resistance to the enemy passief غَيْر فَعّال، سَلْبي безучастен pasivní passiv passiv παθητικός, απαθής pasivo passiivne بی تفاوت؛ آرام passiivinen passif פָּאסִיבִי निष्क्रिय pasivan,bez otpora passzív pasif aðgerðalaus, óvirkur passivo 消極的な 수동적인 pasyvus, abejingas pasīvs pasif passief passiv bierny passivo pasiv пассивный pasívny pasiven pasivan passiv ซึ่งไม่มีปฏิกิริยา pasif, tepki göstermeyen 消極的 пасивний, бездіяльний انفعالي، خاموشي سے برداشت کرنے والا thụ động 消极的
2 of the form of the verb used when the subject receives the action of the verb The boy was bitten by the dog. lydend مَبني للمَجْهول страдателен trpný passiv passiv παθητικός (γραμμ.) (voz) pasiva passiiv, tehtavik مجهول passiivi passif סָבִיל कर्मवाच्य trpni oblik,pasiv szenvedő (alak) bentuk pasif í þolmynd passivo 受動態の 수동태의 neveikiamosios rūšies ciešamās kārtas- pasif lijdende vorm passiv czasownik w stronie biernej passivo pasiv пассивный, страдательный trpný rod pasivna oblika glagola pasiv passiv รูปกริยาแสดงผู้ถูกกระทำ edilgen 被動語態 пасивний فعل مجہول thể bị động 被动语态
adv passively
passief بِصورَةٍ غير فَعّالَه безучастно netečně passivt passiv παθητικά pasivamente, con pasividad passiivselt با بی تفاوتی passiivisesti passivement בְּאוֹפֶן פָּאסִיבִי निष्क्रिय ढंग से, शांतिपूर्वक pasivno,strpljivo passzívan secara pasif í þolmynd; aðgerðalaust passivamente 受身に 수동적으로 pasyviai pasīvi dgn pasif lijdzaam passivt pasywnie, biernie passivamente (în mod) pasiv пассивно pasívne, ľahostajne pasivno pasivno passivt อย่างไม่มีปฏิกิริยาโต้ตอบ pasif olarak, tepki göstermeden 被動地 пасивно خاموشي سے، بغير مزاحمت کے thờ ơ 被动地
n passiveness
passiwiteit عَدَم نَشاط، لا فاعليَّه безучастност netečnost passivitet die Passivität παθητικότητα pasividad passiivsus بی تفاوتی passiivisuus passivité פָּאסִיבִיוּת निष्क्रियता, अकर्मण्यता pasivnost,pokornost vminek, vkinek a passzív volta sikap pasif hlutleysi; aðgerðaleysi passività 消極性 수동적임 pasyvumas pasivitāte kepasifan passiviteit passivitet bierność passividade pasivitate пассивность ľahostajnosť pasivnost pasivnost passivitet การไม่โต้ตอบ eylemsizlik 被動 невикористання انفعاليت، عدم مزاحمت tính thụ động 被动
n pasˈsivity
passiwiteit عَدَم نَشاط، لا مُبالاه безучастност pasivita passivitet die Passivität παθητικότητα pasividad passiivsus عدم فعالیت passiivisuus passivité פַּאסִיבִיוּת निष्क्रियता manjak otpora passzivitás sikap pasif hlutleysi; aðgerðaleysi passività 受動性 수동; 무저항, 복종 pasyvumas pasivitāte kepasifan passiviteit passivitet pasywność passividade pasivitate пассивность pasivita pasivnost pasivnost passivitet การไม่โต้ตอบ eylemsizlik 消極 пасивність, інертність حالت جمود sự thờ ơ 消极
passive → سلبي pasivní passiv passiv παθητικός pasivo passiivinen passif pasivan passivo 受身の 수동적인 passief passiv bierny passivo пассивный passiv อยู่เฉยๆ pasif bị động 被动的
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