tactful

[takt-fuh l]

See more synonyms for tactful on Thesaurus.com

adjective

having or manifesting tact: a tactful person; a tactful reply.

Origin of tactful

First recorded in 1860–65; tact + -ful

Related formstact·ful·ly, adverbtact·ful·ness, nounun·tact·ful, adjectiveun·tact·ful·ly, adverb

Synonym study

See diplomatic.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for tactfulness

control, amenity, adroitness, diplomacy, intelligence, sensitivity, repose, skill, aptness, urbanity, discrimination, presence, acumen, discretion, policy, subtlety, head, perception, savoir-faire, suavity

Examples from the Web for tactfulness

Historical Examples of tactfulness

"Yes," I said, grateful for the screen's tactfulness, unintentional or not.
The Night of the Long Knives
Fritz Reuter Leiber
Would they end by proving her destruction, notwithstanding all her tactfulness?
The Hidden Force
Louis Couperus
My father's tactfulness toward us amounted almost to timidity.
Reminiscences of Tolstoy
Ilya Tolstoy
The two girls showed their appreciation for his tactfulness in different ways.
The Sins of the Children
Cosmo Hamilton
They are heathen; but if the religious would enter there with love and tactfulness they would teach them.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898
E. H. Blair

Word Origin and History for tactfulness

tactful

adj.

1864, from tact + -ful. Related: Tactfully; tactfulness.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper