silence

1 of 2

noun

si·​lence ˈsī-lən(t)s 

1

: forbearance from speech or noise : muteness

—often used interjectionally

2

: absence of sound or noise : stillness

in the silence of the night

3

: absence of mention:

a

: oblivion, obscurity

b

: secrecy

weapons research was conducted in silence

silence

2 of 2

verb

silenced; silencing

transitive verb

1

: to compel or reduce to silence : still

silenced the crowd

2

: suppress

silence dissent

3

: to cause to cease hostile firing or criticism

silence the opposition

4

genetics : to block the genetic expression of

RNA interference is a natural phenomenon. When a cell senses a double strand of RNA, it acts to silence any genes with the corresponding sequence of bases.

—Andrew Pollack

Synonyms

Noun

• stillness
• speechlessness
• muteness

Verb

• quiet
• shush
• hush
• mute
• dumb
• settle

Examples of silence in a Sentence

Noun

I find it hard to sleep unless there is complete silence.

The silence was broken by the sound of footsteps in the hallway.

We sat there in dead silence.

My sister's revelation was met with stunned silence.

The professor asked for silence.

There was an awkward silence after he confessed his love for her.

A long silence followed her reply.

We must break 50 years of silence on issues like the government's involvement in assassination and espionage.

I will not be intimidated into silence.

She finally ended her silence and spoke to the media about what happened.

Verb

My sister's revelation silenced everyone around the table.

Disconnecting the battery will silence the alarm.

The mayor tried to silence his critics.

I will not be silenced!

It's obvious that the purpose of this law is to silence dissent.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In the 1980s, federal prosecutors, including future New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, launched a crackdown, using racketeering laws that carried life sentences and capitalizing on an erosion of the Mafia’s code of silence. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025

There was an awkward silence at the table after, with only the sound of clicking forks. —Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025

Verb

There have also been plenty of trade rumors regarding Brown that seemed to be silenced. —James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025

By silencing artists and historians, a regime seeks to control not just the present, but the past and the future as well. —Andrew Weinstein, Time, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin silentium, from silent-, silens

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1553, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing silence

• conspiracy of silence
• keep one's silence
• moment of silence
• reduce (someone) to silence
• silence is golden
• suffer in silence
• swear (someone) to silence

Kids Definition

silence

1 of 2 noun

si·​lence ˈsī-lən(t)s 

1

: the state of keeping or being silent

—often used as an interjection

"Silence!" demanded the maestro

2

: the state of there being no sound or noise : stillness

in the silence of the night

3

a

: a state of not mentioning

b

: secrecy sense 2

research done in silence

silence

2 of 2 verb

silenced; silencing

1

: to stop the noise or speech of : cause to be silent

silenced the class

2

: suppress sense 1

silencing opposing views

Medical Definition

silence

transitive verb

si·​lence ˈsī-lən(t)s 

silenced; silencing

: to block the genetic expression of : suppress

the gene was silenced using the technique of RNA interference

Legal Definition

silence

noun

si·​lence

1

: the state of keeping or being silent

especially : forbearance from speech or comment

2

: failure to make something known especially in violation of a duty to do so

acceptance by silence

see also estoppel by silence at estoppel sense 1