tacit

adjective

tac·​it ˈta-sət 

1

: expressed or carried on without words or speech

the blush was a tacit answer

—Bram Stoker

2

: implied or indicated (as by an act or by silence) but not actually expressed

tacit consent

tacit admission of guilt

tacitly adverb

tacitness noun

Synonyms

• implicit
• implied
• unexpressed
• unspoken
• unvoiced
• wordless

Examples of tacit in a Sentence

While they got a frosty public response, officials say the private message was a tacit green light. —Mark Thompson, Time, 16 Nov. 1998

Magic requires tacit cooperation of the audience with the magician—an abandonment of skepticism … the willing suspension of disbelief. —Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World, 1996

What a writer must always remember, however, is that with rare exceptions—Edith Wharton then, Louis Auchincloss now—he or she is never really in society; a temporary visa is issued with the tacit stipulation that it will be withdrawn and access denied if confidences are betrayed. —John Gregory Dunne, Harp, 1989

Myself, I like to play the field and see what happens, but there are certain tacit rules: do not mix freshwater fish with those from the sea; do not mix coarse fat fish with delicate ones … —M. F. K. Fisher, With Bold Knife and Fork, 1969

She felt that she had her parents' tacit approval to borrow the car.

There was a tacit agreement that he would pay off the loan.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Pentagon acknowledged the apparent pause, a sign that the tacit rules of engagement had been restored. —Shane Harris, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024

The fact that many brands have rescinded their official repair programs for this type of leather goods—another method of laundering illicit items—is a tacit sign of anxiety around the problem. —The Editors, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Latin; Middle French tacite, from Latin tacitus silent, from past participle of tacēre to be silent; akin to Old High German dagēn to be silent

First Known Use

circa 1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

tacit

adjective

tac·​it ˈtas-ət 

1

: expressed without words or speech

2

: understood or made known (as by an act or by silence) though not actually expressed

tacit approval

tacitly adverb

tacitness noun

Legal Definition

tacit

adjective

tac·​it ˈta-sət 

1

: implied (as by an act or by silence) rather than express

a tacit admission

2

in the civil law of Louisiana : arising by operation of law

a tacit mortgage

tacitly adverb