I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Latin passivus, from passus, past participle Date: 14th century 1. a. (1) acted upon by an external agency (2) receptive to outside impressions or influences b. (1) asserting that the grammatical subject of a verb is subjected to or affected by the action represented by that verb <
the passive voice
(2) containing or yielding a passive verb form c. (1) lacking in energy or will ; lethargic (2) tending not to take an active or dominant part d. induced by an outside agency <
passive exercise of a paralyzed leg
2. a. not active or operating ; inert b. of, relating to, or making direct use of the sun's heat usually without the intervention of mechanical devices <
a passive solar house
c. latent d. (1) of, relating to, or characterized by a state of chemical inactivity; especially resistant to corrosion (2) not involving expenditure of chemical energy <
passive transport across a cell membrane
e. of an electronic element exhibiting no gain or control f. relating to the detection of an object through its emission of energy or sound <
passive sonar
3. a. receiving or enduring without resistance ; submissive b. existing or occurring without being active, open, or direct <
passive support
4. of, relating to, or being business activity in which the investor does not actively participate in the generation of income Synonyms: see inactivepassively adverbpassiveness nounpassivity noun II. noun Date: 1530 1. a passive verb form 2. the passive voice of a language

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.


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