placidity

American  

[pluh-sid-i-tee] / pləˈsɪd ɪ ti /

Also placidness

noun

1. a calm or peaceful quality; tranquility; serenity.

   It’s not uncommon for visitors to regard the placidity of Canada’s Peyto Lake as a spiritual experience.

2. lack of interest or proper concern, energy, or action; complacency or apathy.

   In a society that mistakes placidity for gentleness, I think we need spaces to explore, develop, and harness righteous anger.

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Other Word Forms

• unplacidness noun

Etymology

Origin of placidity

First recorded in 1610–20; placid ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Example Sentences

But, as in “Men,” Kinnear’s appearance of placidity makes his characters’ nefarious tendencies even more chilling; his ability to draw his mouth into a grim implacable line is second to none.

From Los Angeles Times

I had been struck by the placidity of Courtney’s life in the public eye.

From New York Times

She lets the camera drink in the differences between their big-city home environs and the placidity of their woody, lakeside getaway.

From Los Angeles Times

What might have been striking about Saturday was its placidity, especially in a month not famed for meteorological serenity.

From Washington Post

I wouldn’t say serenity, I would say placidity about that time.

From Seattle Times