# passing

/ˈpæsɪŋ/ (US) · /pˈɑːsɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/passing
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. death

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

a polite way to talk about someone's death.

For teachers: a euphemistic term for death or the end of a person's life.

- The family held a small service to mark the passing of their grandfather.
- The community gathered to mourn the passing of a local leader who had dedicated decades to public service.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'of' followed by a person's name or title.

### 2. moving past

noun · CEFR B1

the act of moving from one place to another or going past something.

For teachers: the act of moving past a point or the transition from one state to another.

- She watched the passing of the ships from her window by the sea.
- The steady passing of the seasons brought a predictable rhythm to life in the remote mountain village.

### 3. approving a law

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Academic

the official process of a government approving a new law or bill.

For teachers: the formal legislative approval of a bill, motion, or resolution.

- The passing of the new environmental law was celebrated by activists.
- The passing of the controversial bill required a two-thirds majority in the senate after weeks of intense debate.

Usage: Commonly used in political and legal contexts regarding legislation.

### 4. social identity

noun · CEFR C2 · Academic · Technical

when someone is accepted as a member of a different social group than the one they were born into.

For teachers: the ability of a person to be regarded as a member of an identity group or category different from their own.

- The book explores the history of racial passing in the early twentieth century.
- Sociologists study the phenomenon of passing to understand how individuals navigate rigid social hierarchies and identity boundaries.

### 5. sports

noun · CEFR A2

the act of hitting or throwing a ball to a teammate.

For teachers: the action of transferring the ball or puck to another player on the same team.

- The team's quick passing made it very difficult for the defenders to keep up.
- The coach emphasised accurate passing and spatial awareness during the final training session before the championship match.

### 6. brief or quick

adjective · CEFR B2

lasting for only a short time, or done very quickly without much attention.

For teachers: brief, ephemeral, or cursory; lacking depth or permanence.

- He made a passing comment about the weather and then changed the subject.
- The report only gave a passing mention to the budget issues, focusing instead on the project's successes.

### 7. moving by

adjective · CEFR B1

going past a particular place or person.

For teachers: moving past or by a specific location or observer.

- She waved at the passing cars from her front porch.
- The cyclist was nearly knocked over by the wind from a passing truck on the narrow highway.

### 8. very

adverb · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

an old-fashioned way to say 'very' or 'extremely'.

For teachers: surpassingly or greatly; used as an intensifier in older literature.

- The view from the castle tower was passing fair.
- In the ancient tale, the knight encountered a maiden who was described as passing strange in her manner and dress.

## Examples

- We were all saddened by the passing of our neighbor.
- The community gathered to honor the passing of an era as the town's oldest factory finally closed its doors.
- While the legal documents focused on the transfer of assets, the family focused on a private ceremony to mark the passing of their matriarch.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.