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 a grammar, 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.
◊ Note: 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.
2 b grammar : containing a passive verb form
a passive sentence
— passively adverb
He waited passively for me to decide.
— passivity pæˈsɪvəti noun [noncount]
She was angered by the passivity of her coworkers.