passive

[pas·sive]

Passive is the opposite of active. In English class, you might be advised to avoid the passive voice. In chemistry, a passive substance doesn't react. Passive resistance is a way to protest peacefully.

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Not active, but acted upon; suffering or receiving impressions or influences; as, they were passive spectators, not actors in the scene.

Noun
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
lacking in energy or will; "Much benevolence of the passive order may be traced to a disinclination to inflict pain upon oneself"- George Meredith

Adjective
expressing thatthe subject of the sentence is the patient of the action denoted by the verb; "academics seem to favor passive sentences"

Adjective S.
peacefully resistant in response to injustice; "passive resistance"

a.
Not active, but acted upon; suffering or receiving impressions or influences; as, they were passive spectators, not actors in the scene.

a.
Receiving or enduring without either active sympathy or active resistance; without emotion or excitement; patient; not opposing; unresisting; as, passive obedience; passive submission.

a.
Inactive; inert; not showing strong affinity; as, red phosphorus is comparatively passive.

a.
Designating certain morbid conditions, as hemorrhage or dropsy, characterized by relaxation of the vessels and tissues, with deficient vitality and lack of reaction in the affected tissues.

Passive

Pas"sive , a. [L. passivus: cf. F. passif. See Passion.] 1. Not active, but acted upon; suffering or receiving impressions or influences; as, they were passive spectators, not actors in the scene.
The passive air Upbore their nimble tread.
The mind is wholly passive in the reception of all its simple ideas.
2. Receiving or enduring without either active sympathy or active resistance; without emotion or excitement; patient; not opposing; unresisting; as, passive obedience; passive submission.
The best virtue, passive fortitude.
3. (Chem.) Inactive; inert; not showing strong affinity; as, red phosphorus is comparatively passive. 4. (Med.) Designating certain morbid conditions, as hemorrhage or dropsy, characterized by relaxation of the vessels and tissues, with deficient vitality and lack of reaction in the affected tissues. Passive congestion (Med.), congestion due to obstruction to the return of the blood from the affected part. -- Passive iron (Chem.), iron which has been subjected to the action of heat, of strong nitric acid, chlorine, etc. It is then not easily acted upon by acids. -- Passive movement (Med.), a movement of a part, in order to exercise it, made without the assistance of the muscles which ordinarily move the part. -- Passive obedience (as used by writers on government), obedience or submission of the subject or citizen as a duty in all cases to the existing government. -- Passive prayer, among mystic divines, a suspension of the activity of the soul or intellectual faculties, the soul remaining quiet, and yielding only to the impulses of grace. -- Passive verb, ∨ Passive voice (Gram.), a verb, or form of a verb, which expresses the effect of the action of some agent; as, in Latin, doceor, I am taught; in English, she is loved; the picture is admired by all; he is assailed by slander. Syn. -- Inactive; inert; quiescent; unresisting; unopposing; suffering; enduring; submissive; patient.

Not active, but acted upon; suffering or receiving impressions or influences; as, they were passive spectators, not actors in the scene.

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Usage Examples

The traveler was active he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes 'sight-seeing.'

Corporate America cannot afford to remain silent or passive about the downward spiral we are undergoing. It cannot turn a blind eye to how difficult the experience of life is for so many of their customers.

If all Church power vests in the clergy, then the people are practically bound to passive obedience in all matters of faith and practice for all right of private judgment is then denied.

Active Evil is better than Passive Good.

It is unfortunate that Americans are no longer aware of what the constitution says and what their rights are. Because of that, we are often very passive about what happens when the government violates those rights.

We are not merely passive pawns of historical forces nor are we victims of the past. We can shape and direct history.

I'm not a passive person by any stretch of the imagination.

Misspelled Form

passive, opassive, 0passive, lpassive, oassive, 0assive, lassive, poassive, p0assive, plassive, pqassive, pwassive, psassive, pzassive, pqssive, pwssive, psssive, pzssive, paqssive, pawssive, passsive, pazssive, paassive, pawssive, paessive, padssive, paxssive, pazssive, paasive, pawsive, paesive, padsive, paxsive, pazsive, pasasive, paswsive, pasesive, pasdsive, pasxsive, paszsive, pasasive, paswsive, pasesive, pasdsive, pasxsive, paszsive, pasaive, paswive, paseive, pasdive, pasxive, paszive, passaive, passwive, passeive, passdive, passxive, passzive, passuive, pass8ive, pass9ive, passoive, passjive, passkive, passuve, pass8ve, pass9ve, passove, passjve, passkve, passiuve, passi8ve, passi9ve, passiove, passijve, passikve, passicve, passifve, passigve, passibve, passi ve, passice, passife, passige, passibe, passi e, passivce, passivfe, passivge, passivbe, passiv e, passivwe, passiv3e, passiv4e, passivre, passivse, passivde, passivw, passiv3, passiv4, passivr, passivs, passivd, passivew, passive3, passive4, passiver, passives, passived.

Other Usage Examples

One secret of leadership is that the mind of a leader never turns off. Leaders even when they are sightseers or spectators, are active not passive observers.

Attachment parenting is not a passive parenting style.

Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of creative alternatives for responding to conflict - alternatives to passive or aggressive responses, alternatives to violence.

Most people have a passive relationship with music and clothes, with culture. But music was my first contact with anything creative. Music is it, as far as I'm concerned.

Observation is a passive science, experimentation an active science.

I think leaders are incapable of the strength that passive resistance entails.

I think the thing we see is that as people are using video games more, they tend to watch passive TV a bit less. And so using the PC for the Internet, playing video games, is starting to cut into the rather unbelievable amount of time people spend watching TV.