passive

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Related to passive reciprocation: reciprocality, Reciprocity law

pas·sive

(păs′ĭv)

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.

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" (US Department of Health and Human Services). "[Many parents believe] that computers are educational and, at the least, less passive than television" (Laurie Hays).

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 being an inactive or submissive role in a relationship, especially a sexual relationship.

n. Grammar

1. The passive voice.

2. A verb or construction in the passive voice.

[Middle English, from Old French passif, from Latin passīvus, subject to emotion, the passive, from passus, past participle of patī, to suffer; see pē(i)- in Indo-European roots.]

pas′sive·ly adv.

pas′sive·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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. (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 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. (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.

9. (Banking & Finance) finance (of a bond, share, debt, etc) yielding no interest

(Grammar) grammar

a. the passive voice

b. a passive verb

[C14: from Latin passīvus susceptible of suffering, from patī to undergo]

ˈpassively adv

pasˈsivity, ˈpassiveness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pas•sive

(ˈpæs ɪv)

adj.

1. not reacting visibly to something that might be expected to produce manifestations of an emotion or feeling.

2. not participating readily or actively; inactive: a passive member of a committee.

3. inert or quiescent.

4. influenced, acted upon, or affected by some external force, cause, or agency (opposed to active).

5. receiving or characterized by the reception of impressions or influences from external sources.

6. produced or caused by an external agency.

7. receiving, enduring, or submitting without resistance; submissive.

8. of, pertaining to, or being a voice, verb form, or construction having a subject represented as undergoing the action expressed by the verb, as the sentence The letter was written last week (opposed to active).

9. chemically inactive, esp. under conditions in which chemical activity is to be expected.

10. (of a metal) treated so as to render corrosion-resistant.

11. (of a solar heating system) functioning without the aid of machinery, as pumps.

12. the passive voice.

13. a passive verb form or construction.

[1350–1400; Middle English < Latin passīvus literally, submissive =pass(us) (past participle of patī to experience, undergo) + -īvus -ive]

pas′sive•ly, adv.

passive

In surveillance, an adjective applied to actions or equipments which emit no energy capable of being detected.

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.

passive

Used to describe a form of verb in which the grammatical subject is the object of the action, for example, the sentence “The government took steps.” in the passive would be Steps were taken by the government.” Compare active

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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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" passive voice 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 inactive 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" peaceful 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)

2. inactive, inert, uninvolved, non-participating He took a passive role in the interview.
inactive involved, active

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

passive

adjective

Submitting without objection or resistance:

acquiescent, nonresistant, resigned, submissive.

Translations

غَيْر فَعّال، سَلْبيمَبني للمَجْهولمُسْتَسْلِمٌ

pasivnítrpný

passiv

passiv

παθητικός

pasivo

loidpassiiv

passiivinenkorotonpassiivipassiivimuotopassiivimuotoinen

passif

pasivan

passzívszenvedõ

aîgerîalaus, óvirkurí òolmynd

passivo inerte passivit...

受身の

수동적인

neveikiamosios rūšiespasyviaipasyvus

ciešamās kārtas-pasīvs

pasívnytrpný

trpnik

passiv

ไม่โต้แย้ง

pasiftepki göstermeyenedilgen

bị động

消极的被动的被动语态

passive

[ˈpæsɪv]

A. ADJ (gen) → pasivo; (= inactive) → inactivo

B. N (Ling) → voz f pasiva

C. CPD passive resistance N → resistencia f pasiva
passive smoking N → fumar m pasivo

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

passive

[ˈpæsɪv]

adj

[person, attitude] → passif/ive

(GRAMMAR) [voice] → passif/ive

n (GRAMMAR) the passive → le passif

passive

adj

→ passiv; acceptance → widerspruchslos, widerstandslos

(Gram) → passivisch, passiv, Passiv-; passive form → Passivform f

n (Gram) → Passiv nt, → Leideform f; in the passive → im Passiv

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

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

passive

[ˈpæsɪv]

1. adj (gen) (Gram) → passivo/a

2. n → passivo
in the passive → al passivo

passive

(ˈpӕsiv) adjective

1. showing no interest, emotion etc, or not resisting an attack etc. The villagers showed passive resistance to the enemy

2. of the form of the verb used when the subject receives the action of the verb. The boy was bitten by the dog.

ˈpassively adverb

ˈpassiveness noun

pasˈsivity noun

passive

→ مُسْتَسْلِمٌ pasivní passiv passiv παθητικός pasivo passiivinen passif pasivan passivo 受身の 수동적인 passief passiv bierny passivo пассивный passiv ไม่โต้แย้ง pasif bị động 被动的

pas·sive

a. pasivo-a; sumiso-a; inactivo-a, que no es espontáneo o activo;

___ exercise → ejercicio ___.

passive

adj pasivo

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