tactful

1 of 2

adjective

tact·​ful ˈtakt-fəl 

: having or showing tact

tactfully

ˈtakt-fə-lē 

adverb

tactfulness noun

tactfulness

2 of 2

noun

tact·​ful·​ness

-fəlnə̇s

plural -es

: the quality or state of being tactful : diplomacy, sensitivity

the tactfulness demanded of a labor-management mediator

Synonyms of tactful

Adjective

• politic
• polite
• diplomatic
• respectful

Examples of tactful in a Sentence

Adjective

He gave a tactful critique of her story.

It was tactful of her not to criticize me in front of my boss.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

That includes not wanting to help people through tactful honesty. —R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026

While that wasn’t necessarily the most tactful assessment, given the volume of live games that still air on FS1 and TBS (and, yes, ESPN), Manfred’s take wasn’t at odds with the facts on the ground. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Mar. 2026

Even during the tactful decades of Finlandization, the adversary was obvious. —Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026

The tactful way to teach them requires refraining from criticizing their parents, which will be a struggle. —Judith Martin, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1864, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

tactful

adjective

tact·​ful ˈtakt-fəl 

: having or showing tact

tactfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

tactfulness noun