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passive

[pas-iv] / ˈpæs ɪv /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

At the time, scientists believed the structure mainly served as a passive internal support system.

From Science Daily Jul. 15, 2026

France's 4-4-1-1 defensive block was fairly passive and players defended zonally rather than tracking individual players.

From BBC Jul. 15, 2026

“When you rely on passive income in retirement, servicing debt feels more expensive than when you earned income” from a job.

From MarketWatch Jul. 12, 2026

They offer all-in-one simplicity and, since they are often passive, low cost.

From Salon Jul. 9, 2026

The passive voice is just one of the gadgets that the English language makes available to rearrange phrases while preserving their semantic roles.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

In the case of “have died”, though, neither patients nor passives come into it.

From Economist May 24, 2018

Promoters, passives and detractors have vastly different economic value to most companies.

From Forbes Sep. 20, 2012

In their attitude toward integration, Little Rock's Protestant and Jewish clergymen can be classified as "pushers," "powers" and "passives."

From Time Magazine Archive

No English construction could have survived in the language for a millennium and a half unless it had continued to serve some purpose, and that includes passives and nominalizations.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

The fourth subsection covers issues having to do with excessive abstraction, including overuse of nominalizations and passives.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker




Vocabulary lists containing passive


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