noun
docility
dah-SIL-uh-tee/dɑːˈsɪləti/
The quality of being easy to teach or guide.
The pony's docility lets its handler guide it with a loose lead.
Etymology
Docility originally meant readiness or aptitude to learn. The quality of being easily taught broadened into willingness to accept guidance or management.
In context
his unquiet disposition was tempered as yet by a certain almost girlish docility, which had clung to him from childhood
More examples
- He mistakes her quiet manner for docility.
- The students show remarkable docility, following each instruction without protest.
- The horse's docility makes it suitable for beginning riders.
Forms
docility
docile adjective — Easy to teach, guide, or manage.
Similar words
- teachability
- Focuses on readiness to learn rather than accept direction.
- tractability
- Emphasizes being easy to manage rather than to teach.