pas·sive 
/ˈpæsɪv/ adjective
/ˈpæsɪv/ adjective 1 [more passive; most passive] — used to describe someone who allows things to happen or who accepts what other people do or decide without trying to change anything ▪ His passive acceptance of the decision surprised us. ▪ In her books, women are often portrayed in passive roles. 2 grammar a of a verb or voice : showing that the subject of a sentence is acted on or affected by the verb
▪ “Hits” in “She hits the ball” is active, while “hit” in “The ball was hit” is passive. ▪ In “He was hit by the ball,” “hit” is a passive verb. ◊The passive voice is a way of writing or speaking that uses passive verbs.
▪ The sentence “The house was destroyed by the tornado” is written in the passive voice. — compare active
b : containing a passive verb form
▪ a passive sentence
▪ “Hits” in “She hits the ball” is active, while “hit” in “The ball was hit” is passive. ▪ In “He was hit by the ball,” “hit” is a passive verb. ◊The passive voice is a way of writing or speaking that uses passive verbs.
▪ The sentence “The house was destroyed by the tornado” is written in the passive voice. — compare active
b : containing a passive verb form
▪ a passive sentence
— pas·sive·ly adverb
▪ He waited passively for me to decide.
▪ He waited passively for me to decide.
— pas·siv·i·ty /pæˈsɪvəti/ noun [noncount]
▪ She was angered by the passivity of her coworkers.
/pæˈsɪvəti/ noun [noncount] ▪ She was angered by the passivity of her coworkers.
