passive

passive
pas•sive
[[t]ˈpæs ɪv[/t]] 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[/ex]
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) gram. 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) chem. chemically inactive, esp. under conditions in which chemical activity is to be expected
10) mel (of a metal) treated so as to render corrosion-resistant
11) cvb ene (of a solar heating system) functioning without the aid of machinery, as pumps
12) gram. the passive voice
13) gram. a passive verb form or construction
•
Etymology: 1350–1400; ME < L passīvus lit., submissive =pass(us) (ptp. of patī to experience, undergo) +-īvus -ive pas′sive•ly, adv.

From formal English to slang. 2014.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?
Synonyms:
, , , , / , , , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • passive — pas·sive / pa siv/ adj: not involving, deriving from, or requiring effort or active participation imposed a passive duty not to interfere; specif: of, relating to, or being business activity in which the investor does not have immediate control… …   Law dictionary

  • 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. [1913 Webster] The passive air Upbore their… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • passive — 1. The passive voice is illustrated by the sentence Brazil were beaten by France in the final, in which the object of the active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb and the subject is expressed as an agent introduced by the preposition… …   Modern English usage

  • Passive — is the opposite of active. It has several specific meanings:* Passive voice of a verb * Passivation is the formation of a non reactive surface film that inhibits further corrosion of a metal * Passive components in electronics * Passive mode in… …   Wikipedia

  • passive — [pas′iv] adj. [ME passif < L passivus < passus: see PASSION] 1. influenced or acted upon without exerting influence or acting in return; inactive, but acted upon 2. offering no opposition or resistance; submissive; yielding; patient 3.… …   English World dictionary

  • passive — (adj.) late 14c., in grammatical sense (opposed to active), from L. passivus capable of feeling or suffering, from pass , pp. stem of pati to suffer (see PASSION (Cf. passion)). Meaning not active is first recorded late 15c. Passive resistance… …   Etymology dictionary

  • passive — ► ADJECTIVE 1) accepting or allowing what happens or what others do, without active response or resistance. 2) Grammar (of verbs) in which the subject undergoes the action of the verb (e.g. they were killed as opposed to the active form he killed …   English terms dictionary

  • passive — inactive, inert, idle, supine Analogous words: impassive, phlegmatic, stolid, apathetic Antonyms: active Contrasted words: live, operative, dynamic (see ACTIVE) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • passive — [adj] lifeless, inactive acquiescent, apathetic, asleep, bearing, compliant, cool, docile, enduring, flat, forbearing, going through motions*, hands off*, idle, indifferent, inert, laid back*, latent, long suffering, moony, motionless,… …   New thesaurus

  • passive — As used in law, this term means inactive; permissive; consisting in endurance or submission, rather than action; and in some connections it carries the implication of being subjected to a burden or charge. As to passive debt passive negligence… …   Black's law dictionary

  • passive — [[t]pæ̱sɪv[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED (disapproval) If you describe someone as passive, you mean that they do not take action but instead let things happen to them. His passive attitude made things easier for me... Even passive acceptance of the regime… …   English dictionary

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