tacit
Americanadjective
-
understood without being openly expressed; implied.
tacit approval.
- Synonyms:
- implicit, unsaid, unspoken, unexpressed
-
silent; saying nothing.
a tacit partner.
-
unvoiced or unspoken.
a tacit prayer.
adjective
-
implied or inferred without direct expression; understood
a tacit agreement
-
created or having effect by operation of law, rather than by being directly expressed
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tacit
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin tacitus “silent,” past participle of tacēre “to be silent” (cognate with Gothic thahan; akin to Old Norse thegja )
Explanation
Something tacit is implied or understood without question. Holding hands might be a tacit acknowledgment that a boy and girl are dating. The adjective tacit refers to information that is understood without needing to acknowledge it. For example, since we know that the sky is blue, that kind of assumption is tacit. Lawyers talk about "tacit agreements," where parties give their silent consent and raise no objections.
Vocabulary lists containing tacit
Lord of the Flies
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To Kill a Mockingbird
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 20–25
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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.
The Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch's al fresco speech and news conference on a rooftop in central London on Thursday was a tacit acknowledgement that the political terms of trade have changed.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Because scientists still cannot fully explain how tacit knowledge works in humans, they also cannot translate it into a form machines can use.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
Behind the buffer zones now established in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria, however, is an at least tacit set of ideas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
“But unlike physical abuse and neglect, financial abuse is more likely to occur with the tacit acknowledgment and consent of the elder person and can be more difficult to detect and establish,” it adds.
From MarketWatch ● May 25, 2026
The key is to recognize that the rules of usage are tacit conventions.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions 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.
