Webster's English Dictionary

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passive

Cross references:
  1. inactive              
 
1. pas.sive \'pas-iv\ \pa-'siv-*t-e-\ aj [ME, fr. L passivuus, fr. passus, 
   pp.] 1a1: acted upon by an external agency  1a2: receptive to outside 
   impressions or influences  of a verb form or voice  1b1: asserting that the 
   person or thing represented by the grammatical sub ject is subjected to or 
   affected by the action represented by the verb of a grammatical 
   construction  1b2: containing a passive verb form  1c: lacking in energy or 
   will : LETHARGIC  1d: induced by an outside agency {~ exercise}  2a: not 
   active or operating : INERT  2b: LATENT  2c: of, relating to, or 
   characterized by a state of chemical inactivity; (Xesp : resistant to 
   corrosion 3a: receiving or enduring without resistance : SUBMISSIVE  3b: 
   existing without being active or open {~ support}  - pas.sive.ly av
2. passive n 1: a passive verb form  2: the passive voice of a language