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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
The informal nature of his directives has practically invited passive resistance, such as when the service chiefs and his own secretary of defense politely ignored his tweet about banning transgender individuals from serving in the military.
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Eliot A. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 20 Jan. 2018
So, this openly gay man organized the March on Washington and inspired Dr. King to know about passive resistance and the teachings of Gandhi. ...
—
Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024
Now, the passive resistance of millennials and Gen Z has spread to the annual tradition of celebrating the Lunar New Year with family.
—
Christian Shepherd, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024
The group’s fliers, quoting from Goethe, Schiller, Aristotle, Lao Tzu and the Bible, urged passive resistance and sabotage of the Nazi project.
—
Alan Cowell, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'passive resistance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 19 Aug. 2024.
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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