noun
- The voice used to indicate that the grammatical subject of the verb is the recipient (not the source) of the action denoted by the verb.
- usage: "`The ball was thrown by the boy' uses the passive voice"; "`The ball was thrown' is an abbreviated passive"
- synonyms: passive voice
adjective
- Lacking in energy or will."Much benevolence of the passive order may be traced to a disinclination to inflict pain upon oneself- George Meredith
- synonyms: inactive
- Peacefully resistant in response to injustice.
- usage: "passive resistance"
- synonyms: peaceful
- Expressing that the subject of the sentence is the patient of the action denoted by the verb.
- usage: "academics seem to favor passive sentences"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
| APA | WordNet. (2010). passive. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/passive/definitions/1180414 |
| Chicago | WordNet. 2010. "passive" http://smartdefine.org/passive/definitions/1180414 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | WordNet 2010, passive, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/passive/definitions/1180414>. |
| MLA | WordNet. "passive" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/passive/definitions/1180414> |