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passiveness

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Financial, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.04 sec.
pas·sive  (psv)
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 passvus, subject to emotion, the passive, from passus, past participle of pat, to suffer; see p(i)- in Indo-European roots.]

passive·ly adv.
passive·ness n.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.passiveness - submission to others or to outside influences
submissiveness - the trait of being willing to yield to the will of another person or a superior force etc.
2.passivenesspassiveness - the trait of remaining inactive; a lack of initiative
inertia, inactiveness, inactivity - a disposition to remain inactive or inert; "he had to overcome his inertia and get back to work"
spiritlessness, numbness, apathy, indifference - the trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things generally
torpidness, torpor, listlessness, torpidity - inactivity resulting from lethargy and lack of vigor or energy
Translations
passiveness [ˈpæsɪvnɪs] N passivity [pæˈsɪvɪtɪ] Npasividad f
passiveness, passivity
nPassivität f
passiveness [ˈpæsɪvnɪs] passivity [pæˈsɪvɪtɪ] npassività
passiveness [ˈpæsɪvnɪs] passivity [pæˈsɪvɪtɪ] npassività


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
Children have always a sympathy in the agitations of those connected with them: always, especially, a sense of any trouble or impending revolution, of whatever kind, in domestic circumstances; and therefore Pearl, who was the gem on her mother's unquiet bosom, betrayed, by the very dance of her spirits, the emotions which none could detect in the marble passiveness of Hester's brow.
However, this time, my tranquillity, or passiveness as philosophers say, proceeded from another source; it proceeded from a wish, like a submissive and devoted daughter" (a slight smile was observable on the purple lips of the young girl), "to practice obedience.
All passiveness and unconcern had dropped from them.
 
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