passively
/ˈpæs.ɪv.li/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.01 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
adv
In a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action.
adv
In an acquiescent manner; resignedly or submissively.
adv
In the passive voice; having a passive construction.
Example Sentences
- "Water flowed passively between tanks via the siphon."
- "Due to this pressure aortic and pulmonary valves are opened passively and due to relaxation blood is sucked from the venae cavae into the atrium."
- "For most people, this sacrifice is made easily and instinctively. Not so for otroverts, who are neither willing nor able to passively adopt the social scripts that others do. To the otrovert, who is constantly engaged with the choices and consequences of their individual life, social norms follow a circular logic: […]"
- "Paradoxically, the same faculty who complain about busyness are most likely to end up waiting passively. While they acquiescently wait to write, they busy themselves with other, often trivial, activities."
- "They were not waving at him but sat passively as if waiting to hear if what he had to say would be derogatory to their previous relationship."
- "Statements phrased in an active voice, with a few outcome-oriented goals, improve school performance more than those stated passively with either multiple goals or goals focused on processes or behaviors."
Etymology
Etymology tree English passive Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English passively From passive + -ly.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈpæs.ɪv.li/
- British English: /ˈpæs.ɪv.li/