passive
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:
The organization was described as collegial by his predecessor but Bates found passive aggressiveness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
The police report claimed that the Moroccan police deployment around the border "was clearly smaller than usual" and cited migrants who spoke of a "passive attitude" as the crossings happened.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Innanen: The thing about Paul Baker is, he’s so passive and laissez-faire with everything in his life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
Quiz shows aren’t designed to be passive viewing experiences; we’re encouraged to play along with the contestants, testing our natural intelligence and memory in a stakes-free setting.
From Salon ● May 4, 2022
The passive voice, too, has several uses in English.
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
The advice to bring zombie nouns back to life as verbs and to convert passives into actives is ubiquitous in style guides and plain language laws.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
It’s in the third person, and filled with zombie nouns like Extreme Exposure and passives like are more easily affected.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Vocabulary lists containing passive
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 5
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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