SUBMISSIVENESS Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

submissiveness

noun

Definition of submissiveness

as in obedience

a readiness or willingness to yield to the wishes of others his uncharacteristic submissiveness to the doctor's advice must mean he's really sick

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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.

Recent Examples of submissiveness Attraction is a function of parentage and looks and submissiveness. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 May 2026 But for Coles, his indoctrination to law enforcement has been a different level of submissiveness. — Dan Pompei, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for submissiveness

Noun

Now, the Department has decided that obedience supersedes all else, requiring us to abdicate our legal and ethical obligations in favor of directions from Washington.

— Eyal Press, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
The goal is to reform them rather than get rid of them entirely, which strengthens the party by encouraging obedience and dedication to the party’s cause.

— ANDREW MERTHA, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of obedience

Noun

Their acquiescence to this encroachment on their powers has made these politicians increasingly dependent on a dysfunctional national government.

— Editorial Board, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2026
But many assumptions that Stratos’ investors or Utah politicians might have had about Box Elder County – about either the acquiescence of its people or the barrenness of its landscape – have been proved wrong over the past few months.

— Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of acquiescence

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submissively

submissiveness

submit

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“Submissiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/submissiveness. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of submissiveness

noun

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