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.
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The Latina expression of the gothic through self-styling is not a passing algorithmic trend — nor is it a passive imitation of white subcultures.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Traditional passive detectors made from plastic require chemical etching before scientists can study the marks left by incoming particles.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026
A lot of people in their 40s get strangely passive about their careers, like the path is already set.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
The main issue with “The Rouse” is the author’s strangely passive way of narrating events.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Fences like Brent did, seemingly passive, without energy.
From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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
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
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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