passif

passive

adjective pah-SEEF Rare

Origin: Latin passivus (capable of suffering)

Usage Note

Passif describes someone who accepts things without reacting, or in grammar, the passive voice (la voix passive). The feminine form is passive. In finance, le passif (used as a noun) refers to liabilities on a balance sheet — the opposite of l'actif.

Examples

"Il reste passif face au problème."

Natural Translation

He remains passive in the face of the problem.

Literal Translation

He stays passive faced with the problem.

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