Synonyms: passive, passive voice
Definition: the voice used to indicate that the grammatical subject of the verb is the recipient (not the source) of the action denoted by the verb
Usage: `The ball was thrown by the boy' uses the passive voice; `The ball was thrown' is an abbreviated passive
Similar words: voice
Definition: (linguistics) the grammatical relation (active or passive) of the grammatical subject of a verb to the action that the verb denotes