passive

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

From French passif, from Latin passivus (“serving to express the suffering of an action; in late Latin literally capable of suffering or feeling”), from pati (“to suffer”), past participle of passus; compare patient.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) enPR: păsʹ-ĭv, IPA: /ˈpæs.ɪv/, X-SAMPA: /"p{s.Iv/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æsɪv
• Hyphenation: pas‧sive

Adjective

passive (comparative more passive, superlative most passive)

1. Being subjected to an action without producing a reaction.
2. Taking no action.

   He remained passive during the protest.

3. (grammar) Being in the passive voice.
4. (psychology) Being inactive and submissive in a relationship, especially in a sexual one.
5. (finance) Not participating in management.

Antonyms

• active
• aggressive

Synonyms

• inactive
• idle
• disinterested
• uninvolved

Derived terms

passive-aggressive passively passiveness passive smoking

passive voice passivity passivisation / passivization passivise / passivize

Related terms

• passion
• passionate
• patience
• patient

Translations

not active, but acted upon

• Catalan: passiu (ca) m
• Chinese: 消极的 (xiāo jí de)
• Dutch: passief (nl)
• Estonian: loid (et)
• Finnish: passiivinen (fi)
• French: passive (fr), passif (fr) m
• German: passiv (de)

• Italian: passivo (it)
• Japanese: 受動的 (じゅどうてき, judōteki), 受け身 (うけみ, ukemi)
• Persian: منفعل (fa)
• Romanian: pasiv (ro) m and n
• Russian: пассивный (ru) (passívnyj)
• Vietnamese: bị động (vi)

taking no action

• Dutch: passief (nl)
• Estonian: loid (et)
• Finnish: passiivinen (fi)
• German: passiv (de)

• Norwegian: passiv (no)
• Russian: пассивный (ru) (passívnyj), бездеятельный (ru) (bezdéjatelʹnyj)
• Vietnamese: thụ động (vi)

grammar: being in the passive voice

• Albanian: pësor (sq)
• Armenian: կրավորական (hy) (kravorakan)
• Chinese: 被动 (bèidòng)
• Dutch: passief (nl)
• Estonian: passiiv (et)
• Finnish: passiivinen (fi), passiivimuotoinen (fi)
• German: passiv (de), passivisch (de)

• Greek: παθητική (el) (pathitikí)
• Italian: passivo (it)
• Japanese: 受動態 (じゅどうたい, judōtai)
• Norwegian: passiv (no)
• Persian: مجهول (fa)
• Russian: страдательный (ru) (stradátel’nyj), пассивный (ru) (passívnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: fulangach (gd)

psychology: being inactive and receptive in a relationship

• Chinese: 被动 (bèidòng)
• Dutch: passief (nl)
• Finnish: passiivinen (fi)
• German: unterwürfig (de)

• Italian: passivo (it)
• Russian: пассивный (ru) (passívnyj)
• Spanish: pasivo (es)

finance: not bearing interest

• Dutch: passief (nl)

• Finnish: koroton (fi)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Italian: passivo
• Romanian: pasiv, supus

• Spanish: pasivo

Noun

passive (plural passives)

1. (uncountable, grammar) The passive voice of verbs.
2. (countable, grammar) A form of a verb that is in the passive voice.

Translations

passive voice — see passive voice

form of verb

• Dutch: passief (nl) c
• Finnish: passiivimuoto (fi), passiivi (fi)

• German: Passiv (de) n

External links

• passive in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• passive in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pa.siv/

Adjective

passive

1. feminine form of passif

Verb

passive

1. first-person singular present indicative of passiver
2. third-person singular present indicative of passiver
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of passiver
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of passiver
5. second-person singular imperative of passiver

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Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA: /pas.ˈsi.ve/, [pas.siː.ve], X-SAMPA: /pas."si.ve/
• Hyphenation: pas‧sì‧ve

Adjective

passive f pl

1. feminine plural of passivo

Anagrams

• spesavi