Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Latin
Origin: passivus, from pati; PASSION

passive

1 adjective
     
Related topics: Grammar
pas‧sive1
1 someone who is passive tends to accept things that happen to them or things that people say to them, without taking any action [↪ impassive]:
Kathy seems to take a very passive role in the relationship.
their passive acceptance of their fate
2 technicalSLG a passive verb or sentence has as its subject the person or thing to which an action is done, as in 'His father was killed in a car accident.' ➔ active1 (6)
—passively adverb:
He listened passively as his sentence was read out.
—passivity noun [uncountable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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