RhymeZone: passive definitions

Definitions of passive:

noun: the voice used to indicate that the grammatical subject of the verb is the recipient (not the source) of the action denoted by the verb
Example: "`The ball was thrown by the boy' uses the passive voice"
adjective: peacefully resistant in response to injustice
Example: "Passive resistance"
adjective: lacking in energy or will
Example: "Much benevolence of the passive order may be traced to a disinclination to inflict pain upon oneself- George Meredith"
adjective: expressing thatthe subject of the sentence is the patient of the action denoted by the verb
Example: "Academics seem to favor passive sentences"