passive
UK[ˈpæsɪv]US[ˈpæsɪv]
adj
accepting what happens or what people do without active response or resistance.
adj
relating to a grammatical voice where the subject undergoes the action of the verb.
n
a passive verb form or the passive voice.
Morpheme Breakdown
pass
ive
pass
suffer
ive
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word 'passive' originates from the latin 'passivus', which is derived from the verb 'pati', meaning 'to suffer or endure'. this root is also the source of words like 'passion' and 'patient', originally conveying a sense of being acted upon or experiencing something. the suffix '-ivus' was added to form an adjective, giving 'passivus' the meaning 'capable of suffering or receiving action'. this literal sense of receiving action logically evolved into its modern grammatical meaning, where the subject receives the verb's action, and its general meaning describing a non-resisting, submissive attitude.
Analysis
Structure: pass (suffer) + ive (adjective suffix)
pass: from latin 'passus', past participle of 'pati' meaning 'to suffer, endure'.
ive: a latin-derived suffix forming adjectives meaning 'of the nature of, tending to'.
Examples
he played a passive role in the decision-making process.
the sentence "the window was broken" is written in the passive voice.
her passive acceptance of the situation worried her friends.