tacit

adjective

tac·​it ˈta-sət How to pronounce tacit (audio)
1
: expressed or carried on without words or speech
the blush was a tacit answerBram 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

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now—he or she is never really in society; a temporary visa is issued with the tacit stipulation that it will be withdrawn and access denied if confidences are betrayed.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 As movies and television have often had it, theirs is a bond that, if both parties are healthy, is meant to reach some kind of tacit endpoint that results in male independence and maternal letting go. Mark Harris Keita Morimoto, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 While Israel has established scores of settlements across the occupied territory, the outposts are not authorized, though the government gives them tacit support. Julia Frankel, Quartz, 22 Feb. 2024 But with tacit American benevolence in the background, foreign emerging market types might be lured with guarantees from the Erbil government. Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 The Biden administration, with the tacit support of a number of influential Arab governments, envisions a grand bargain that would provide for both the reconstruction of Gaza, the revival of a political track for Palestinian statehood and Israel’s deeper integration into the region. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024 For those of us already thinking about abandoning our New Year’s resolutions, the arrival of February may seem like tacit permission to give up. Dani Blum, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Feb. 2024 Analysts say the operation had tacit backing from Beijing, which wanted to punish the junta over its failure to curb online scams operating out of Myanmar. Aakash Hassan, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb. 2024 Since Modi took office, however, the Supreme Court has often given its tacit approval to the government’s misconduct, by, for example, failing to strike down punitive laws that clearly violate the Indian constitution. Ramachandra Guha, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Experts say Egypt’s recent deployments there could be a violation of that agreement – unless it was done with Israel’s tacit approval. Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tacit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of tacit was circa 1650

Dictionary Entries Near tacit

Cite this Entry

“Tacit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tacit. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tacit

adjective
tac·​it ˈtas-ət How to pronounce tacit (audio)
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 How to pronounce tacit (audio)
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

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