passivity

/pəˈsɪvɪti/

Other forms: passivities

Passivity is allowing others to do things to you without complaining or pushing back. The baby-sitter's passivity led her charges to walk all over her. They stayed up all night and tied her to the chair, and all she said was, "Please stop misbehaving."

You'd use the noun passivity to refer to the state of being passive — passivity applies to someone who accepts the actions or opinions of others without speaking up. Passivity can help you from getting into a fight but that same passivity can mean you might also get a black eye.

Definitions of passivity

1. noun

   the trait of remaining inactive; a lack of initiative
   synonyms: passiveness

   types:

   apathy, indifference, numbness, spiritlessness

   the trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things generally

   listlessness, torpidity, torpidness, torpor

   inactivity resulting from lethargy and lack of vigor or energy

   type of:

   inactiveness, inactivity, inertia

   a disposition to remain inactive or inert
2. noun

   submission to others or to outside influences
   synonyms: passiveness

   type of:

   submissiveness

   the trait of being willing to yield to the will of another person or a superior force etc.