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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Recent Examples of submissiveness
But for Coles, his indoctrination to law enforcement has been a different level of submissiveness.
—
Dan Pompei, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
In Killers of the Flower Moon, his Ernest Burkhart starts off as a mopey, weak-minded World War One veteran, eager to do anything for his godfather uncle (Robert De Niro), but there’s still a certain likability to his dim-bulb submissiveness.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
Dan Pompei, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
In Killers of the Flower Moon, his Ernest Burkhart starts off as a mopey, weak-minded World War One veteran, eager to do anything for his godfather uncle (Robert De Niro), but there’s still a certain likability to his dim-bulb submissiveness.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for submissiveness
Noun
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Fear Gets Results, Niceness Builds Loyalty Fear creates compliance and obedience.—
Kelly Ehlers,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2026
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In democratic systems, coercive force does not generate obedience through strength alone.—
Robert Pape,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And acquiescence can be contagious.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
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Even if clemency led the White House to dial back the ongoing efforts to punish Colorado, acquiescence today only invites future harassment.—
Max Potter,
Denver Post,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Submissiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/submissiveness. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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