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passive resistance
noun
: resistance especially to a government or an occupying power characterized mainly by noncooperation
Examples of passive resistance in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Behavioral Challenges And Manipulation Collaboration is vital to influence, but disruptive behaviors, such as manipulation or passive resistance, often go unchecked when authority is absent.
—Chaitra Vedullapalli, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
In Nashville, Lewis was trained in passive resistance by the Rev. James Lawson, a significant mentor.
—Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Oct. 2024
The author describes how Lewis, who went on to serve in Congress for more than 30 years, immersed himself in passive resistance while a student at the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee.
—Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Oct. 2024
That led to passive resistance by Germans that tanked the country’s economy and helped trigger hyperinflation in 1923.
—Cyrus Veeser / Made By History, TIME, 10 Sep. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1779, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of passive resistance was
in 1779
Dictionary Entries Near passive resistance
Cite this Entry
“Passive resistance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passive%20resistance. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
passive resistance
noun
: resistance especially to a government or an occupying power characterized mainly by noncooperation
More from Merriam-Webster on passive resistance
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about passive resistance
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