■ adjective
1》 accepting or allowing what happens or what others do, without active response or resistance.
2》 Grammar denoting a voice of verbs in which the subject undergoes the action of the verb (e.g. they were killed as opposed to he killed them ). The opposite of active .
3》 (of a circuit or device) containing no source of energy or electromotive force.
↘(of radar or a satellite) receiving or reflecting radiation rather than generating its own signal.
4》 Chemistry unreactive because of a thin inert surface layer of oxide.
■ noun Grammar a ~ form of a verb.
Derivatives
~ly adverb
~ness noun
passivity noun
Origin
ME: from L. passivus , from pass- , pati 'suffer'.