DIMENSIONS: DENOTATION / Quality
R E F E R E N C E S
Passive adj [ME, fr. L passivus, fr. passsus, pp.] [14c] 1a [1]: acted upon by an external agency [2]: receptive to outside impressions or influences b [1]: asserting that the grammatical subject of a verb is subjected to or affected by the action represented by that of a verb is subjected to or affected by the action represented by that verb [2]: containing or yielding a passive verb form c [1]: lacking in energy or will: Lethargic [2]: tending not to take an active or dominant part d: induced by an outside agency [__ exercise of a paralyzed leg] 2a: not active or operating: Inert b: of, relating to, or making direct use of the sun's heat usu. without the intervention of mechanical devices [__ technique] [__ solar house] c: Latent d [1]: of, relating to, or characterized by a state of chemical inactivity: esp: resistant to corrosion [2]: not involving expenditure of chemical energy [__ transport across a cell membrane] e of an electronic element: exhibiting no gain or control f: operating solely by means of the power of an input signal [a __ communication satelite that reflects television signals] g: relating to the detection of an object through its emission of energy 3a: receiving or enduring without resistance; Submissive b: existing or occurring without being active, open, or direct [__ support] 4: of, relating to, or being business activity in which the investsor does not have immediate control over income
-syn. See Inactive
2 Passive n [1530] 1: a passive verb form 2: the passive voice of a language [Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th Edition. Springfield, MA, USA: Merriam-Webster, Inc. 1995.]
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