reticence

Sometimes reti·cen·cy

[ret-uh-suhns]

noun

1. the state of being reticent, or reserved, especially with regard to speaking freely; restraint.

   His natural reticence seemed to disappear under the influence of alcohol.

Other Word Forms

• nonreticence noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of reticence¹

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. ); reticent ( def. )

Example Sentences

But the biographer also makes clear that Roth cultivated reticence with the same zeal with which he flaunted candor.

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When he returns 16 years later, Redford puts the lines on his face and his trademark reticence to good use, tapping into our collective need for heroes and a belief in second chances.

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Lois’ reticence about him mirrors our own vacillation with the DC Universe’s new direction: We need to see something more from this guy before we commit.

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Despite human failings, a perceived lack of human control plays its part in our reticence to rely on tech in general, says entrepreneur Azeem Azhar, who writes the tech newsletter The Exponential View.

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Surf camp operators said that they understood parents’ reticence.

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Related Words

• hesitation 
• shyness www.thesaurus.com