tact

American  

[takt] / tækt /

noun

1. a keen sense of what to say or do to avoid giving offense; skill in dealing with difficult or delicate situations.

   Synonyms:

   poise, diplomacy, sensitivity, perception

2. a keen sense of what is appropriate, tasteful, or aesthetically pleasing; taste; discrimination.

3. touch or the sense of touch.

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tact British  

/ tækt /

noun

1. a sense of what is fitting and considerate in dealing with others, so as to avoid giving offence or to win good will; discretion

2. skill or judgment in handling difficult or delicate situations; diplomacy

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Other Word Forms

• tactfulness
  noun
• tactlessness
  noun
• tactful
  adjective
• tactless
  adjective
• tactfully
  adverb
• tactlessly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of tact

First recorded in 1150–1200; from Latin tāctus “sense of touch,” equivalent to tag-, variant stem of tangere “to touch” + -tus suffix of verbal action

Explanation

To talk carefully without hurting anyone’s feelings, that’s tact. Politicians have tact, which makes them good at speaking about sensitive matters without making fools of themselves. At least, sometimes they have tact. Around a friend who’s afraid of snakes, you use tact when talking about reptiles because you don’t want to upset them. The Latin root word tangere means “touch,” and a person with tact avoids touching dangerous words like they are an electric fence. When you say something without tact, you “put your foot in your mouth,” as the phrase goes. You don’t literally put your foot in your mouth, although if you did you’d avoid offending people with words.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tact

The result is a superb collection of six true stories that are told with tact, care and subtlety.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Daryanani believes this will help protect iPhone demand for now and keep overall sales in tact, but it’s also likely that the next generation of iPhones announced in September will be more expensive.

From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026

“We spoke with him for hours, and he told us everything he saw, obviously with great tact, sharing both the good and the not-so-good,” Roy recalled.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026

Navigating that kind of rupture would take poise, flexibility, and tact.

From Slate ● Apr. 6, 2026

Valerie Feigen watched in near bewilderment as her husband acquired, haltingly, in fits and starts, a trait resembling tact.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• common-sense
• discretion
• prudence
• refinement
• sensitivity
• subtlety