as in resigned
receiving or enduring without offering resistance
the union rank and file were surprisingly passive about the givebacks in the new labor contract
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Recent Examples of passive
His support for the Civil Rights Movement was generally passive.
—
Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
In reality, Wiseman was not a journalist, nor a passive documenter, but rather one of the most influential and trailblazing practitioners of the cinematic art form in its first 100 years, producing a body of work that reveals as much about human nature as any artist of his generation.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026
This type of immersive education challenges students to engage with conflict not as passive observers but as active participants, working alongside those directly impacted by conflict to understand their experiences and gain firsthand knowledge of the complexities involved in sustaining peace.
—David Dumke, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
Rather than serving as a passive microbial backdrop, the oral ecosystem appears metabolically tuned in ways that echo systemic health.
—New Atlas, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for passive
Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
In reality, Wiseman was not a journalist, nor a passive documenter, but rather one of the most influential and trailblazing practitioners of the cinematic art form in its first 100 years, producing a body of work that reveals as much about human nature as any artist of his generation.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 16 Feb. 2026
This type of immersive education challenges students to engage with conflict not as passive observers but as active participants, working alongside those directly impacted by conflict to understand their experiences and gain firsthand knowledge of the complexities involved in sustaining peace.
—David Dumke, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
Rather than serving as a passive microbial backdrop, the oral ecosystem appears metabolically tuned in ways that echo systemic health.
—New Atlas, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for passive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passive
Adjective
-
The album’s 20 songs are the resigned and rueful sound of him making amends with his obscurity, and his larger place in the universe.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
14 Jan. 2026
-
When legends who have left the public eye or dealt with illness pass away, there’s a sort of resigned expectation, but that wasn’t the case with Keaton, who worked all the way to the end before dying at 79.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The audience would do well to stay attuned to this goal — and how obedient Nat is willing to be.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The Intelligence Age doesn’t require obedient workers.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
That amendment had been made a dead letter by Jim Crow state legislatures and an acquiescent Supreme Court.—
Robert D. Bland,
The Conversation,
3 Feb. 2026
-
As the right rises, Trump puts enemies on notice The Trump administration’s attack on Venezuela extends its broader crusade to assemble a column of allied — or at least acquiescent — governments in Latin America, sailing with the political winds blowing in much of the region.—
Megan Janetsky,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Passive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passive. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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