passively en · ADV
Pronunciation
Etymology
Etymology tree English passive Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English passively From passive + -ly.
Meanings
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(not-comparable) In a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action.
Due to this pressure aortic and pulmonary valves are opened passively and due to relaxation blood is sucked from the venae cavae into the atrium.
2007, Klaus Dieter Budras et al., Anatomy of the Dog, page 188:Water flowed passively between tanks via the siphon.
2000, Brian D. Wisenden, “Scents of Danger”, in Animal Signals: signalling and signal design in animal communication, page 369:For most people, this sacrifice is made easily and instinctively. Not so for otroverts, who are neither willing nor able to passively adopt the social scripts that others do. To the otrovert, who is constantly engaged with the choices and consequences of their individual life, social norms follow a circular logic: […]
2025 June 19, Rami Kaminski, ““Otroverts” and why nonconformists often see what others can’t”, in Big Think:
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(not-comparable) In an acquiescent manner; resignedly or submissively.
Paradoxically, the same faculty who complain about busyness are most likely to end up waiting passively. While they acquiescently wait to write, they busy themselves with other, often trivial, activities.
1997, Gary A. Olson, Todd W. Taylor, Publishing in Rhetoric and Composition, page 218:They were not waving at him but sat passively as if waiting to hear if what he had to say would be derogatory to their previous relationship.
1998, Wallace Collins, Dragon Fire, page 9:
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(not-comparable) In the passive voice; having a passive construction.
Statements phrased in an active voice, with a few outcome-oriented goals, improve school performance more than those stated passively with either multiple goals or goals focused on processes or behaviors.
2008, Timothy J. Conlan, Alice M. Rivlin, Paul L. Posner, Intergovernmental Management for the Twenty-first Century, page 214:
Relateds
passiveness · passivization · passivize · passivise · passivisation · passivity · passive
Synonyms
resignedly (in an acquiescent manner) · submissively (in an acquiescent manner) · automatically (in a passive manner) · mindlessly (in a passive manner)
Translations (20)
sk nečinne (in an acquiescent manner; resignedly) · hy պասսիվորեն (in a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action) · es pasivamente (in a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action) · tr pasif olarak (in a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action) · fi tahattomasti (in a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action) · ru пасси́вно (in a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action) · sk pasívne (in an acquiescent manner; resignedly) · pl biernie (in a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action) · fi hiljaisesti (in an acquiescent manner; resignedly) · ru пасси́вно (in an acquiescent manner; resignedly) · no passivt (in a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action) · sk pasívne (in a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action) · fr passivement (in a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action) · fi passiivisesti (in an acquiescent manner; resignedly) · it passivamente (in a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action) · pt passivamente (in a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action) · fi passiivisesti (in a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action) · pl pasywnie (in a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action) · de passiv (in a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action) · ca passivament (in a passive manner; without conscious or self-directed action)