tact

[ takt ]
See synonyms for tact on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a keen sense of what to say or do to avoid giving offense; skill in dealing with difficult or delicate situations.

  2. a keen sense of what is appropriate, tasteful, or aesthetically pleasing; taste; discrimination.

  1. touch or the sense of touch.

Origin of tact

1
First recorded in 1150–1200; from Latin tāctus “sense of touch,” equivalent to tag-, variant stem of tangere “to touch” + -tus suffix of verbal action

Other words for tact

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How to use tact in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tact

tact

/ (tækt) /


noun
  1. a sense of what is fitting and considerate in dealing with others, so as to avoid giving offence or to win good will; discretion

  2. skill or judgment in handling difficult or delicate situations; diplomacy

Origin of tact

1
C17: from Latin tactus a touching, from tangere to touch

Derived forms of tact

  • tactful, adjective
  • tactfully, adverb
  • tactfulness, noun
  • tactless, adjective
  • tactlessly, adverb
  • tactlessness, noun

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