adjective
passive
PAS-ihv
adjective
1
Accepting what happens without acting to change or resist it.
"He took a passive approach and let others make the decisions."
2
Describing a grammatical construction where the subject receives the action rather than performing it.
""The cake was eaten" is written in the passive voice."
3
Not requiring active input or power; not actively generating energy.
"The house uses passive solar heating."
How to Use Passive
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishNot taking action — letting things happen rather than making them happen.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
passive voice
passive income
passive-aggressive
Word Forms
more passive comparative, most passive superlative
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He took a _____ approach and let others make the decisions.
Etymology
From Latin passivus, "capable of suffering or being acted upon," from pati, "to suffer."