WordGarden.iopassive
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /pˈɑːsɪv/
US
- /ˈpæsɪv/
Meanings
Adjective
not taking action or playing an active role
not assertive and inclined to accept what others decide
using a clause where the subject receives the action
More meaningsFewer meanings
in engineering, operating without active power gain or direct driven control
Noun
the passive voice or a passive construction
Beyond the definition
Imagine a baseball fan watching the game. They are passive observers, enjoying the action but not taking part in it. That is one clear way to understand the word. It often describes someone or something that does not take action, but instead receives action or lets things happen. A passive listener does not interrupt. A passive person may avoid conflict and go along with what others decide. A passive house is built to save energy without relying much on active heating or cooling. In grammar, it also names a voice where the subject receives the action, as in "The ball was thrown," instead of doing it, as in "He threw the ball."
Passive describes a state of accepting or allowing something to happen without active involvement or resistance. Think of it as drifting with the current instead of paddling against it; it is about being acted upon rather than acting.
You might describe someone as having a passive personality if they tend to be quiet, reserved, and avoid taking charge. In the world of finance, a passive investment strategy usually means following the market over time instead of trying to beat it through frequent trading. In physics and electronics, passive components, such as resistors, do not provide power gain and generally work without adding energy to the circuit.
The word also has a specific meaning in linguistics. A passive voice sentence emphasizes the action being done to the subject rather than the subject performing the action. For example, "Mistakes were made" is a passive construction, while "He made mistakes" is active. Using the passive voice can sometimes make a statement sound less direct or help a writer avoid assigning blame.
Beyond people and grammar, passive can describe systems that work with little or no active energy input. A passive solar heating system, for instance, uses sunlight directly through windows or heat-storing materials without mechanical pumps or fans.
Whether it relates to personality, grammar, investment strategies, or technology, passive always points to a lack of active force or engagement—a state of receiving rather than initiating.
Examples
- 1
Conflict avoidance
He stayed passive during the argument and let his sister do all the talking.
- 2
Classroom participation
The class was quiet at first, so the teacher tried to get the students to be less passive.
- 3
Workplace meetings
New employees should not feel passive in meetings; their ideas are welcome.
- 4
Grammar sentence
"The window was broken" is a passive sentence.
- Grammarpassive sentence
a sentence where the action is more important than who did it
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Formal writing
The report uses the passive voice to avoid blaming one person.
- Grammarthe passive voice
a way of writing like "Mistakes were made" instead of "Someone made mistakes"
- 6
Income
She earns some passive income from renting out a small apartment.
- Phrasepassive income
money you get with little regular work
- 7
Protest
The protest began with passive resistance, such as refusing to leave the building.
- Phrasepassive resistance
protest without violence or direct attack
- 8
Indirect anger
Please tell me if you are annoyed; these passive-aggressive comments are not helping.
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- passivenounadjective
Forms
- passivespluralnounadjective