Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

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

passive

1 adjective
     
NEW! See 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.
 
Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
What is the word for picture 1? What is the word for picture 2? What is the word for picture 3? What is the word for picture 4?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.

Explore our topic dictionary

ADVERTISING AND MARKETINGANIMALSBANKING
BIOLOGYBUSINESS BASICSCOMPUTERS
CLOTHESDAILY LIFEEDUCATION
FINANCEFOODGRAMMAR
HAIR AND BEAUTYHUMANLAW
MUSICNATURESPORT
STOCKS AND SHARESTECHNOLOGYTRADE