tacitly
Americanadverb
-
without saying so; silently.
We both knew we had different views on the subject, and tacitly agreed not to make it an issue.
-
in a way that is partly unconscious or cannot be explained in words.
The hardest tasks to automate are those demanding skills that we understand only tacitly.
Etymology
Origin of tacitly
Explanation
Things that are done tacitly assume there is an unspoken understanding between the people or groups involved. Walking into your friend's house without knocking first tacitly expresses that you are like family, not a guest. Leaving the seat at the head of the table for the guest of honor is a way to tacitly express respect and observe a custom. Maybe you never talked to your friends about sitting together at lunch — you just started doing it one day — you tacitly plan to continue eating together. The Latin root of tacitly is tacitus, which means "something that is silent or performed without words."
Vocabulary lists containing tacitly
1984
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The Bluest Eye
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Emma
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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.
It’s as if the world tacitly acknowledges that getting this tale truly right is a futile pursuit.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
While a handful of moderate dissidents are tacitly tolerated as a matter of expedience, most other heretics have been driven from the tent.
From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2026
In so doing, she and Ms. Hirons tacitly acknowledge that their many desperate efforts to be fresh have failed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Analysts said that suggested Beijing was tacitly accepting Pyongyang's status as a nuclear-armed state.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
He held up a hand, tacitly signaling for them to keep still.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
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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.
