silence

1 of 2

noun

si·​lence ˈsī-lən(t)s How to pronounce silence (audio)
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:
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
There was no braying and shouting that often marks debates in the House of Commons and speeches were considered respectfully and heard in silence. Brian Melley and Pan Pylas The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 30 Nov. 2024 The Trotters looked around in silence as the camera lingered on them, and, after a few seconds, crew members could be heard talking in the background. Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 28 Nov. 2024
Verb
The stars of their offense — Hurts, A.J. Brown and Barkley — eventually broke through while their sturdy defense silenced an AFC powerhouse. Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 2 Dec. 2024 Recognize what your inner critic is saying—and take steps to silence it. Julia Sullivan, SELF, 27 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for silence 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of silence was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near silence

Cite this Entry

“Silence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/silence. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

silence

1 of 2 noun
si·​lence ˈsī-lən(t)s How to pronounce silence (audio)
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 How to pronounce silence (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on silence

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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