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Do you change tack or tact?
Although some believe the word tact is short for tactics in phrases like "change tact" or "try a different tact," the correct word in such contexts is tack.
Tack in "change tack" and "try a different tack" means "a course or method of action especially when sharply divergent from that previously followed.”
Tack developed this meaning from its nautical applications. In sailing, tack can refer to the direction that a ship or boat is sailing in as it moves at an angle to the direction of the wind; or to a change from one direction to another direction; or to the distance traveled while sailing in a particular direction.
Tack developed the "course or method of action" meaning near the end of the 17th century; within 100 or so years, the phrase "change tack" was being used with the figurative meaning it has today.
While there is also a long history of people using tact where tack belongs, the use is widely shunned by usage guides, which means you might want to avoid it.
Did you know?
This word came to English directly from French (a Latin-based language), where it can also mean simply "sense of touch". Dealing with difficult situations involving other people can require the kind of extreme sensitivity that our fingertips possess. As Lincoln once said, "Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves", which doesn't usually come naturally. Someone tactful can soothe the feelings of the most difficult people; a tactless person will generally make a bad situation worse.
tact, address, poise, savoir faire mean skill and grace in dealing with others.
tact implies delicate and considerate perception of what is appropriate.
address stresses dexterity and grace in dealing with new and trying situations and may imply success in attaining one's ends.
poise may imply both tact and address but stresses self-possession and ease in meeting difficult situations.
savoir faire is likely to stress worldly experience and a sure awareness of what is proper or expedient.
Examples of tact in a Sentence
Word History
French, sense of touch, from Latin tactus, from tangere to touch — more at tangent entry 2
1797, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Dictionary Entries Near tact
Cite this Entry
“Tact.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tact. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
tact
noun
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