Tacit Meaning
/ˈtæsɪt/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjImplied, but not made explicit, especially through silence.
adjNot derived from formal principles of reasoning; based on induction rather than deduction.
Sentence Examples
There must have been a tacit understanding between them.
There must've been a tacit understanding between them.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
Their ____ understanding meant they never had to discuss their plans openly.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
There was a ____ agreement between the two friends that they would never talk about the secret again today.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from late Middle French tacite, or from Latin tacitus (“that is passed over in silence, done without words, assumed as a matter of course, silent”), from tacere (“to be silent”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Our tacit treaty with Miss Maudie was that we could play on her lawn, eat her scuppernongs if we didn’t jump on the arbor, and explore her vast back lot,"
— 1960 July 11, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, N.Y.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, →OCLC:
"He does this by way of a tacit reference to Homer."
— 1983, Stanley Rosen, Plato’s Sophist: The Drama of Original & Image, page 62:
"[…] disengagement represents a tacit rejection of governing institutions and processes, especially among young people, […]"
— 2004, Lawrence Pratchett, Vivien Lowndes, editors, Developing Democracy in Europe: An Analytical Summary, →ISBN:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Their ____ understanding meant they never had to discuss their plans openly.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
There was a ____ agreement between the two friends that they would never talk about the secret again today.