passivity

[pa-siv-i-tee]

noun

1. Also passiveness the state or condition of being passive.

2. chemical inactivity, especially the resistance to corrosion of certain metals when covered with a coherent oxide layer.

Word History and Origins

Origin of passivity¹

First recorded in 1650–60; passive + -ity

Example Sentences

Far from improving conditions, diplomatic passivity has allowed the government to dig in its heels, intensifying repression and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

All the hype about the Lebanese disarming Hezbollah has given way to familiar passivity and disappointment.

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On Tuesday, the reformist Shargh newspaper said skipping the summit showed "passivity, a lack of initiative and a loss of opportunity in foreign policy".

Read more on Barron's

Director Nancy Medina’s staging, circumnavigating a theatrical circle, lifts the audience out of its proscenium passivity into something almost immersive and definitely interactive.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

I’m willing to blame some of that passivity on his head injury, but it’s hard to care about a character who only has a personality for three minutes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• composure 
• diligence 
• endurance 
• fortitude 
• grit 
• humility 
• moderation 
• perseverance 
• persistence 
• poise 
• restraint 
• self-control 
• tolerance