I. ˈpa-siv adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin passivus, from passus, past participle
Date: 14th century
1.
a.
(1) : acted upon by an external agency
(2) : receptive to outside impressions or influences
b.
(1) : asserting that the grammatical subject of a verb is subjected to or affected by the action represented by that verb
the passive voice
(2) : containing or yielding a passive verb form
c.
(1) : lacking in energy or will : lethargic
(2) : tending not to take an active or dominant part
d. : induced by an outside agency
passive exercise of a paralyzed leg
2.
a. : not active or operating : inert
b. : of, relating to, or making direct use of the sun's heat usually without the intervention of mechanical devices
a passive solar house
c. : latent
d.
(1) : of, relating to, or characterized by a state of chemical inactivity ; especially : resistant to corrosion
(2) : not involving expenditure of chemical energy
passive transport across a cell membrane
e. of an electronic element : exhibiting no gain or control
f. : relating to the detection of an object through its emission of energy or sound
passive sonar
3.
a. : receiving or enduring without resistance : submissive
b. : existing or occurring without being active, open, or direct
passive support
4. : of, relating to, or being business activity in which the investor does not actively participate in the generation of income
Synonyms: see inactive
• pas·sive·ly adverb
• pas·sive·ness noun
• pas·siv·i·ty pa-ˈsi-və-tē noun
II. noun
Date: 1530
1. : a passive verb form
2. : the passive voice of a language