passive voice

noun2

1. •
   The form of a transitive verb in which its subject receives the action.

   • The passive voice is sometimes criticized for de-emphasizing the actor.
   • Many languages, including English, use auxiliary verbs in constructing the passive voice.
2. •
   (nonstandard) Any writing which obscures the identity of the perpetrator of an action, regardless of whether the sentence uses the passive form of a verb.

   • Phrases such as officer-involved shooting are often criticized as examples of passive voice.