tact
[takt]
- a keen sense of what to say or do to avoid giving offense; skill in dealing with difficult or delicate situations.
- a keen sense of what is appropriate, tasteful, or aesthetically pleasing; taste; discrimination.
- touch or the sense of touch.
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Origin of tact
1150–1200; < Latin tāctus sense of touch, equivalent to tag-, variant stem of tangere to touch + -tus suffix of v. action
Synonyms
See more synonyms for tact on Thesaurus.com1. perception, sensitivity; diplomacy, poise.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for tact
Contemporary Examples
He was no teacher, and he lacked the tact required in getting along with his classes.
The result has all the passion, tact, and nuance of a street-corner preacher.
Atheist Philosopher Peter Boghossian’s Guide to Converting BelieversMichael Schulson
November 2, 2013
The 27-year-old will need to display a level of tact and diplomacy with which he has not previously ever been associated.
The tapering of certain letters indicates the laudable trait of tact.
On the very first episode of that venerable program, Jock Ewing gave his son, J.R., a tart-tongued lesson about tact and subtlety.
Historical Examples
But there he had the tact to remain in the car, and Mrs. McKee's peace with Tillie was made alone.
KMary Roberts Rinehart
"Oh, I guess it wouldn't hurt them," said Yates, with a lack of tact that was not habitual.
In the Midst of AlarmsRobert Barr
In the strength of that conviction he committed a fault of tact.
The Secret AgentJoseph Conrad
Pete considered that he was behaving with great discernment and tact.
Good IndianB. M. Bower
He was agreeable, too agreeable; he certainly had not bad manners, but he was deficient in tact.
My Double LifeSarah Bernhardt
tact
- a sense of what is fitting and considerate in dealing with others, so as to avoid giving offence or to win good will; discretion
- skill or judgment in handling difficult or delicate situations; diplomacy
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Word Origin
C17: from Latin tactus a touching, from tangere to touch
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for tact
n.
1650s, "sense of touch or feeling" (with an isolated instance from c.1200), from Latin tactus "touch, feeling, handling, sense of touch," from root of tangere "to touch" (see tangent). Meaning "sense of "discernment, diplomacy, etc." first recorded 1804, from a sense that developed in French cognate tact.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper