passive

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   lacking in energy or will

   Much benevolence of the passive order may be traced to a disinclination to inflict pain upon oneself- George Meredith

2. 2
   adj

   expressing that the subject of the sentence is the patient of the action denoted by the verb

   academics seem to favor passive sentences

3. 3
   adj

   peacefully resistant in response to injustice

   passive resistance

4. 4
   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

   `The ball was thrown by the boy' uses the passive voice

5. 5
   adj

   Taking no action.

   He remained passive during the protest.

6. 6
   adj

   Without motive power.

   a passive balloon

7. 7
   adj

   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.

8. 8
   noun

   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.

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.