impersonal passive

noun

A construction that removes the subject from an intransitive verb, as in the Dutch sentence Er wordt gefloten ("[Someone] whistled"). Also known as pseudopassive.

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Meanings

nounimpersonal passive (plural impersonal passives)

plural impersonal passives

  1. grammarA construction that removes the subject from an intransitive verb, as in the Dutch sentence Er wordt gefloten ("[Someone] whistled"). Also known as pseudopassive.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
pseudopassive
Cite this entry
APA

impersonal passive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/impersonal%20passive

MLA

“impersonal passive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/impersonal%20passive. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “impersonal passive,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/impersonal%20passive.

Source: impersonal passive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.