tacit

[ tas-it ]

/ ˈtæs ɪt /

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adjective

understood without being openly expressed; implied: tacit approval.

silent; saying nothing: a tacit partner.

unvoiced or unspoken: a tacit prayer.

Nearby words

Origin of tacit

1595–1605; < Latin tacitus silent, past participle of tacēre to be silent (cognate with Gothic thahan; akin to Old Norse thegja)

SYNONYMS FOR tacit

1 unexpressed, unspoken, unsaid, implicit.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tacit ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR tacit

1 expressed.

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Related formstac·it·ly, adverbtac·it·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tacit

Meese, with the tacit acquiescence of other top officials, had laid out a version of events all were expected to uphold.
How the Reagan White House Bungled Its Response to Iran-Contra Revelations|Malcolm Byrne|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the same time, this focus on pragmatism is a tacit acknowledgment from the president.
The Flaw in My Brother’s Keeper|Jamelle Bouie|February 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The five- page document, which has the tacit support of Senate GOP leaders, represents a remarkable shift for the party.
A Clever Move by Senate Republicans|Michael Tomasky|February 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
There is, in the cancellation, a tacit admission of culpability where there is none.
‘Luck’ Runs Out: If Horses Die While Cameras Roll, You Must Quit|Max Watman|March 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST

The same feeling of exclusion feeds the present distrust of police and the tacit acceptance of violence fueling the current riots.
British Police Hobbled by Their Own Prejudice|Joseph D. McNamara|August 9, 2011|DAILY BEAST
She felt the justice of it to the bottom of her heart, and yet was chilled and wounded by the tacit condemnation of her child.
The Ladies Lindores, Vol. 1(of 3)|Margaret Oliphant
"We have gone far afield," she said, a tacit admission that she could not refute his dissertations.
Parrot & Co.|Harold MacGrath
She had nodded to Andor, but by tacit consent they had not shaken hands.
A Bride of the Plains|Baroness Emmuska Orczy
Besides, Andrew knew, his whole conduct was a tacit admission, that she had condescended in giving him her hand.
Evan Harrington, Complete|George Meredith
At the same time he would do his utmost to work Gorry in, on the tacit understanding that nothing would be done for nothing.
The Dust Flower|Basil King

British Dictionary definitions for tacit

tacit

/ (ˈtæsɪt) /

adjective

implied or inferred without direct expression; understooda tacit agreement

created or having effect by operation of law, rather than by being directly expressed

Derived Formstacitly, adverbtacitness, noun

Word Origin for tacit

C17: from Latin tacitus, past participle of tacēre to be silent

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for tacit

tacit

c.1600, from French tacite, from Latin tacitus "that is passed over in silence, done without words, assumed, silent," prop. past participle of tacere "to be silent," from PIE root *tak- "to be silent" (cf. Gothic þahan, Old Norse þegja "to be silent," Old Norse þagna "to grow dumb," Old Saxon thagian, Old High German dagen "to be silent"). The musical instruction tacet is the 3rd person present singular of the Latin verb.