What does "passive" mean?
The passive voice of verbs.
Passive
adj, noun
adj, noun ·2 syllables ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The passive voice of verbs.
- Grammar: passive is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: passive voice, abeyant, abject, aboulic.
- Useful contrasts: active, aggressive, combative.
- Usage evidence: Observation is a passive science, experimentation an active science.
How to use "passive"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "passive" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "passive" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "passive" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "passive" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "passive" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "passive voice" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "passive", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The passive voice of verbs.
- 2 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 wordnet
- 3 A form of a verb that is in the passive voice.
- 4 A customer who is satisfied with a product or service, but not keen enough to promote it by word of mouth.
"If you want to improve your organization's NPS, you need to follow up with your detractors, passives, and promoters to understand why they answered your question as they did and what you can do better in the future."
- 5 Any component that consumes but does not produce energy, or is incapable of power gain.
"Reductions In Both Size And Weight Offered By Integrated Passives You may not know it yet, but if you're like most consumers, you want integrated passives."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Ellipsis of passive attack. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 7 A thing whose worth decreases with time.
Adjective
- 1 Being subjected to an action without producing a reaction.
- 2 Taking no action.
"He remained passive during the protest."
- 3 Being in the passive voice.
- 4 Being inactive and submissive in a relationship, especially in a sexual one.
- 5 Not participating in management.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Without motive power.
"a passive balloon"
- 7 Of a component: that consumes but does not produce energy, or is incapable of power gain.
- 8 Where allowance is made for a possible future event.
"There would be a shuttle service of four trains an hour from Reading, where the rebuilt station also has passive provision for the trains."
Adjective
- 1 lacking in energy or will wordnet
- 2 expressing that the subject of the sentence is the patient of the action denoted by the verb wordnet
- 3 peacefully resistant in response to injustice wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Observation is a passive science, experimentation an active science."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "passive"?
Common synonyms include: passive voice, abeyant, abject, aboulic, accepting, accommodating.
How do you use "passive" in a sentence?
Observation is a passive science, experimentation an active science.
Etymology
From Middle English passyf, passyve, from Middle French, French passif, from Latin passivus (“serving to express the suffering of an action; in late Latin literally capable of suffering or feeling”), from passus, past participle of pati (“to suffer”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₁- (“to hurt”); compare patient.