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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Their spokesman: a young, unknown Martin Luther King, Jr., advocating non-violent, passive resistance. Martha Teichner, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2026 Envy between peers becomes passive resistance. Chris Schembra, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025 And the Americans have offered nothing more than passive resistance. Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025 Some key symptoms of being tech-rich but outcome-poor include: • Limited user adoption: Users do not fully engage with the tool or exhibit passive resistance toward its usage. Cory McNeley, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for passive resistance

Word History

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of passive resistance was in 1779

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Cite this Entry

“Passive resistance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passive%20resistance. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.

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

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