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passive

noun [S]
 
 
/ˈpæs.ɪv/ specialized

Definition

the passive B1 the form of a verb used when the grammatical subject is the person or thing that experiences the effect of an action, rather than the person or thing which causes the effect: When changed into the passive, 'The dog chased the cat' becomes 'The cat was chased by the dog'. → Compare activeVerb forms, tenses and types of verbs
(Definition of passive noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
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