acquiescent

adjective

ac·​qui·​es·​cent ˌa-kwē-ˈe-sᵊnt 

: tending to accept or allow what others want or demand : inclined to acquiesce

a politician accused of being too acquiescent to the demands of special interests

acquiescently adverb

Synonyms

• nonresistant
• passive
• resigned
• tolerant
• tolerating
• unresistant
• yielding

Example Sentences

The acquiescent girl became a strong assertive woman.

was not as acquiescent about sharing her room as her parents seemed to think she should be

Recent Examples on the Web

But its hyperlocal and acquiescent posture mutes public engagement and policy debate on India’s role as the world’s largest democracy. —Anjani Jain, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2022

Israel’s entrenched system of control over the Palestinian territories and its creeping annexation of Palestinian lands, unchecked for years by an acquiescent United States, may only provoke more angry resistance. —Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 21 May 2021

The fact that Raniere collected kompromat from DOS members strongly suggests that his psychological coercion techniques were not, by themselves, sufficient to keep women acquiescent. —Zoë Heller, The New Yorker, 5 July 2021

Teachers unions, which have emerged as a powerful force of opposition to school reopenings in the United States, have generally been more acquiescent in Europe, pushing for safety measures rather than closures. —Michael Birnbaum, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Dec. 2020

Teachers unions, which have emerged as a powerful force of opposition to school reopenings in the United States, have generally been more acquiescent in Europe, pushing for safety measures rather than closures. —Michael Birnbaum, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Dec. 2020

Teachers unions, which have emerged as a powerful force of opposition to school reopenings in the United States, have generally been more acquiescent in Europe, pushing for safety measures rather than closures. —Michael Birnbaum, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Dec. 2020

Teachers unions, which have emerged as a powerful force of opposition to school reopenings in the United States, have generally been more acquiescent in Europe, pushing for safety measures rather than closures. —Michael Birnbaum, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Dec. 2020

Teachers unions, which have emerged as a powerful force of opposition to school reopenings in the United States, have generally been more acquiescent in Europe, pushing for safety measures rather than closures. —Michael Birnbaum, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Dec. 2020

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Word History

Etymology

acquiesce + -ent variant of -ant entry 2 (or borrowed from Latin acquiēscent-, acquiēscens, present participle of acquiēscere)

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

acquiescent

adjective

ac·​qui·​es·​cent ˌak-wē-ˈes-ᵊnt 

: acquiescing or tending to acquiesce

acquiescently adverb