- without emotion, reaction, or resistance:Shiloh passively watched the reactions of the crowd.At the start of the play, she passively accepts her wretched lot in life.
- without active participation:The walk signals can be activated manually with a push button or passively by means of a pedestrian detection system.
- in a way that indicates being affected by some action, external force, or cause:The patient reports significant pain when the shoulders and pelvis are rotated passively in the same plane.
- in a way that does not involve machinery or electronic devices:The building is on stilts, allowing air to circulate freely underneath, thereby passively cooling the living areas.Deciduous trees are ideal because they drop their leaves in winter, when you want sunlight to passively heat your home.
- using the passive voice, indicating that the subject undergoes the action of the verb:The sentence was worded passively to avoid blaming anyone by name.
