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.
Even the White House communications staff has tacitly admitted that something is going on, though all they will say is Trump has chronic venous insufficiency, a conveniently benign condition.
From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026
When reached for comment, the White House redirected AFP to a post on X by White House Deputy Communications Director Kaelan Dorr, who tacitly acknowledged that the image had been modified.
From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026
Ms. Low tacitly admits that the prevailing culture has been overselling the rewards of work—and playing down the importance of relationships, i.e., marriage and children, as a cornerstone of a woman’s happiness.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025
Yet Ye has tacitly given it his blessing: After watching the finished cut, he texted Ballesteros, “That doc was very deep. It was like being dead and looking back on my life.”
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 10, 2025
When I once quoted this to him, tacitly inviting his comment, he told me tartly, “I don’t know if I could start one. I don’t know if I’d want to stop one. ”
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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.
