passive
/ˈpæs.ɪv/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.03 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Being in the passive voice.
adj
Being inactive and submissive in a relationship, especially in a sexual one.
adj
Not participating in management.
adj
Without motive power.
Example Sentences
- "He remained passive during the protest."
- "a passive balloon"
- "a passive aeroplane"
- "passive flight, such as gliding and soaring"
- "There would be a shuttle service of four trains an hour from Reading, where the rebuilt station also has passive provision for the trains."
- "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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈpæs.ɪv/
- British English: /ˈpæs.ɪv/