reticence
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reticence
First recorded in 1600–10; from French réticence, from Latin reticentia, equivalent to reticent-, stem of reticēns (present participle of reticēre “to be silent”) + -ia -y 3 ( def. ); see reticent ( def. )
Explanation
Reticence is a kind of reserve, wanting to avoid communication and not wanting to offer any more information than is necessary. Reticence is a noun originating from the Latin word reticent, meaning “remaining silent.” Someone charged with a crime might be instructed by their lawyer to show reticence when being questioned by police. As a child, reticence saved you from getting in trouble when mom asked who ate all the cookies from the jar.
Vocabulary lists containing reticence
The Things They Carried
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The Kite Runner
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Unbroken
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yet beneath the reticence, the magazine detected a politician already learning how to exercise power.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
There’s some evidence that Crockett’s reticence may be having an effect.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government and the Catholic Church in Spain signed an agreement in March to compensate victims, after years of reticence and opacity from the Church hierarchy.
From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026
Neville hedges his bet by filling us in on Michaels’ spotlight apprehension, making his reticence a through line.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
He was aware of the lingering reticence of the eastern men and seemed hell-bent on winning them with flattery that verged on unction—a tactic that Louis Sullivan had known Burnham to deploy with great effect.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
