tacit
adjective
tac·it ˈta-sət 
1
: expressed or carried on without words or speech
the blush was a tacit answer
Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker2
: implied or indicated (as by an act or by silence) but not actually expressed
tacit consent
tacit admission of guilt
tacitly adverb
tacitness noun
Synonyms
- implicit
- implied
- unexpressed
- unspoken
- unvoiced
- wordless
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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now—he or she is never really in society; a temporary visa is issued with the tacit stipulation that it will be withdrawn and access denied if confidences are betrayed.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. See More
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now—he or she is never really in society; a temporary visa is issued with the tacit stipulation that it will be withdrawn and access denied if confidences are betrayed.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. See More Recent Examples on the Web Supporting a resistance would be a tacit admission that its policy to leave was a failure. CBS News, 24 Aug. 2022 According to Ukraine, this was a threat designed to scare the world off continuing arms shipments, and a tacit admission that Russia may lose the war. David Meyer, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2022 And management’s merger talks with DirecTV are in my view a tacit admission the company lacks scale to be a real national competitor. Roger Conrad, Forbes, 30 Jan. 2022 Yet these measures are a tacit admission that foreign forces are no longer steering the lira. Jon Sindreu, WSJ, 22 Dec. 2021 While this was a seemingly small gesture, her attendance reportedly signified her tacit approval of the couple. Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 12 Aug. 2022 Since Russia entered the Syrian war in 2015, Israel has needed Moscow's tacit approval to carry out such attacks. Hadas Gold, CNN, 27 July 2022 Henry had been dealing drugs in prison, with Paulie’s tacit approval. New York Times, 25 July 2022 There are some indications of gangs having tacit approval from their country’s government. Kevin Collier, NBC News, 6 July 2022 See More
CBS News, 24 Aug. 2022 According to Ukraine, this was a threat designed to scare the world off continuing arms shipments, and a tacit admission that Russia may lose the war. David Meyer, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2022 And management’s merger talks with DirecTV are in my view a tacit admission the company lacks scale to be a real national competitor. Roger Conrad, Forbes, 30 Jan. 2022 Yet these measures are a tacit admission that foreign forces are no longer steering the lira. Jon Sindreu, WSJ, 22 Dec. 2021 While this was a seemingly small gesture, her attendance reportedly signified her tacit approval of the couple. Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 12 Aug. 2022 Since Russia entered the Syrian war in 2015, Israel has needed Moscow's tacit approval to carry out such attacks. Hadas Gold, CNN, 27 July 2022 Henry had been dealing drugs in prison, with Paulie’s tacit approval. New York Times, 25 July 2022 There are some indications of gangs having tacit approval from their country’s government. Kevin Collier, NBC News, 6 July 2022 See More 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
Kids Definition
tacit
adjective
tac·it ˈta-sət
: understood or made known without being put into words I have Mom's tacit approval to go.
Legal Definition
tacit
adjective
tac·it ˈta-sət
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
tacit
adjective
as in unspoken
understood although not put into words we have a tacit agreement that if I wash the dishes, she dries them and puts them away Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- unspoken
- implied
- implicit
- unexpressed
- unvoiced
- inferred
- presumed
- interpreted
- wordless
- intimated
- construed
- unsaid
- untold
- hinted
- undeclared
- insinuated
- unannounced
- suggested
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- explicit
- express
- obvious
- apparent
- evident
- stated
- manifest
- plain
- expressed
- straightforward
- voiced
- spoken
- unambiguous
- unmistakable
- unequivocal
- blatant
- bitter pill
- bitter pit
- bitter rot
- bitter rubberweed
- bitter spar
- bitter thistle
- bitter vetch
- bitter waternut
- bitter willow
- bitter-ender
- bitterbark
- bitterbloom
- bitterbrush
- bitterbrushes
- bitterbush
- bittercresses
- bittered
- bitterenders
- bitterer
- bitterest
- bitterhead
- bittering
- bittering agent
- bitterish
- bitterless