passive matrix display
- noun
- /ˈpæsɪv ˈmeɪtrɪks dɪsˈpleɪ/
- Specialized
- Many early laptops used a passive matrix display, which resulted in slower response times and lower contrast.
Examples
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The passive matrix display has lower image quality than active ones.
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The passive matrix display on this old device can't match modern screen resolutions.
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Consumers generally prefer active matrix screens over a passive matrix display because of better image clarity.
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Many passive matrix displays are used in older devices.
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A passive matrix display generally provides lower image quality compared to more advanced screens.
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Compared to active matrix displays, a passive matrix display has slower response times and less color accuracy.
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Many budget devices still use a passive matrix display, which offers simpler technology and lower production costs.
Antonyms
- Specialized
A screen that uses a small electronic part for each tiny dot to make images sharper and faster
How Clear
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from its parts — 'passive' (inactive), 'matrix' (a grid-like arrangement) and 'display' (a screen) — so a learner can reasonably infer it denotes a type of screen whose grid operates in a passive/inactive way, likely implying lower performance. However, the specific technical meaning (how rows/columns address pixels and how this differs from an active-matrix design) requires domain knowledge beyond B1 level, so the relation is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Passive matrix display gets its name from how the screen is built: a matrix is a grid of rows and columns of wires, and passive means those wires simply carry signals without a small switch at each pixel. That's why the name points to older displays that 'do not actively' drive every pixel and so often have slower response and lower image quality.