passivity
puh-SIV-uh-tee
/pæˈsɪv.ə.tee/
Acceptance of what happens or what others do, without active response or resistance.
Emphasizes submissive inaction or allowing circumstances to control you without fight.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'passivus', derived from 'pati' (to suffer or undergo). The core idea was being the person receiving an action (suffering it) rather than performing it. This also gives us 'patient' and 'passion'.
Word relationships
- submissiveness: Submissiveness emphasizes yielding to authority; passivity emphasizes general lack of action.
- inaction: Inaction is simply not acting; passivity is a character trait or state of letting things happen to you.
- assertiveness: Assertiveness involves confidently standing up for one's views and taking action.
- activity: Activity involves doing things and exerting force.
Commonly confused with
- pacifism: Pacifism is a principled moral opposition to war; passivity is a general lack of reaction or resistance.
Word family
- passive (adjective): Accepting or allowing what happens without active response.
- passively (adverb): In an inactive, unresisting manner.
Collocations
- smug passivity
- political passivity
- forced passivity
- slide into passivity
Idioms & expressions
- take a back seat
Example sentences
- "The public's passivity in the face of rampant corruption allowed the authoritarian regime to solidify power." Sociological analysis
- "Her total passivity during group discussions meant her brilliant ideas were never heard." Personal development
Memory hook
PASSIVE people let the world PASS them by. Letting things happen without action.
When not to use
Do not confuse with peaceful calm that comes from active choices.
Fun facts
- In English grammar, 'passive voice' means the subject undergoes the action rather than performing it.
Related words
Explore more words
submissive, resigned, acquiesce, docile, unassertive, spectator
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