passive implies immobility or lack of normally expected response to an external force or influence and often suggests deliberate submissiveness or self-control.

PASSIVE definition: not reacting visibly to something that might be expected to produce manifestations of an emotion or feeling. See examples of passive used in a sentence.

'Catrin told me' is an active sentence, and 'I was told by Catrin' is passive. In a passive sentence, the subject is the person or thing affected by the action of the verb.

If you describe someone as passive, you mean that they do not take action but instead let things happen to them.

Dec 14, 2025 · (grammar) Being in the passive voice. (psychology) Being inactive and submissive in a relationship, especially in a sexual one. (finance) Not participating in management. (aviation) Without …

Used to describe a form of verb in which the grammatical subject is the object of the action, for example, the sentence “The government took steps.” in the passive would be Steps were taken by the …

There are 26 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word passive, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.