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Proactive vs Passive - What's the difference?

proactive | passive |

As adjectives the difference between proactive and passive

is that proactive is acting in advance to deal with an expected change or difficulty while passive is being subjected to an action without producing a reaction.

As a noun passive is

the passive voice of verbs.

proactive

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Acting in advance to deal with an expected change or difficulty
  • We can deal with each problem as it pops up, or we can take a proactive stance and try to prevent future problems.

    Usage notes

    Some consider proactive to be a buzzword, and it is associated with business-speak.The good grammar guide, by Richard Palmer, 2003, p. 157 Depending on use, alternatives include active, or “show initiative” instead of “be proactive ”.

    Synonyms

    * anticipatory * forward-looking

    Antonyms

    * reactive

    Derived terms

    * proactively * proactivity * proactiveness

    References

    * The Word Detective, Issue of February 5, 2001 ----

    passive

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Being subjected to an action without producing a reaction.
  • Taking no action.
  • He remained passive during the protest.
  • (grammar) Being in the passive voice.
  • (psychology) Being inactive and submissive in a relationship, especially in a sexual one.
  • (finance) Not participating in management.
  • Antonyms

    * active * aggressive

    Synonyms

    * inactive * idle * disinterested * uninvolved

    Derived terms

    * passive-aggressive * passively * passiveness * passive smoking * passive voice * passivity * passivisation / passivization * passivise / passivize

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (uncountable, grammar) The passive voice of verbs.
  • (countable, grammar) A form of a verb that is in the passive voice.