passivity.

1. A lack of active initiative, intervention or resistance in a situation.

2. A condition in which a normally reactive material, especially a metal, exhibits reduced chemical activity because of a protective surface layer.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• political passivity
• apparent passivity

On the page

Political passivity allowed a small active group to shape the decision.

Her apparent passivity concealed careful observation and a decision to wait.

Usage notes

Primary category: psychology / character / human behavior. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: characterization, motivation analysis, behavioral comparison, qualification. Disciplines: psychology, social behavior, character writing. Commonness: moderately common.