passiveness

noun

Definition of passivenessnext
as in passivity

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of passiveness The little girl could be heard well over a rowdy crowd that had about been lulled into passiveness — and eventually, boos in the fifth round — in the humdrum title fight. — CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026 Despite his relative passiveness, Brighton’s collective structure is strong. — Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passiveness
  1. passivity
  2. acquiescence
  3. willingness
Noun
  • Whereas Clara’s journey is one into slumber, inaction, passivity, and perpetuating the system.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In that process, key nuances can get lost, turning action into passivity, for instance, or adding a gender to a word where none existed in the original.
    — Chenier Carpio Opua, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of passivity
Noun
  • Oil has long funded the Gulf’s expensive social contract, in which governments provide citizens with cushy jobs and high-quality services in return for political acquiescence.
    — Dina Esfandiary, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026
  • With Taiwan’s 2028 elections approaching, sustained American support strengthens voices favoring self-defense over acquiescence to Beijing.
    — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of acquiescence
Noun
  • Heading into the holidays, that tension between a willingness to spend and pressure on household budgets will likely shape consumer behavior.
    — Jill Standish, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Manouzi sees her Dearborn clients as especially entrepreneurial, with a willingness to test new, innovative approaches that might boost sales, or, for a restaurant business, bring diners into a space.
    — Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of willingness

Browse Nearby Words

passively
passiveness
passivity
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Cite this Entry

“Passiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passiveness. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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