reticent

reticent

unwilling to speak; reserved; taciturn, uncommunicative: She was reticent to answer our questions.
Not to be confused with:reluctant – disinclined; unwilling to act: She’s reluctant to report him to the police.

ret·i·cent

R0192000 (rĕt′ĭ-sənt)adj.1. Inclined to keep one's thoughts, feelings, and personal affairs to oneself. See Synonyms at laconic.2. Restrained or reserved: "The laughter was steady, if reticent" (Bernard Lown).3. Usage Problem Reluctant; unwilling.

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[Latin reticēns, reticent-, present participle of reticēre, to keep silent : re-, re- + tacēre, to be silent.]

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ret′i·cence (-səns) adv.ret′i·cent·ly adv.Usage Note: Reticent is generally used to indicate a reluctance to speak. Most commentators on usage have criticized its extended use as an all-purpose synonym for reluctant. In our 2001 survey, 83 percent of the Panel found unacceptable the sentence A lot of out-of-towners are reticent to come to the Twin Cities for a ballgame if there's a chance the game will be rained out.

reticent

(ˈrɛtɪsənt) adjnot open or communicative; not saying all that one knows; taciturn; reserved[C19: from Latin reticēre to keep silent, from re- + tacēre to be silent] ˈreticence n ˈreticently adv

ret•i•cent

(ˈrɛt ə sənt)

adj. 1. disposed to be silent or not to speak freely; reserved. 2. restrained, as in style or appearance. [1825–35; < Latin reticent-, s. of reticēns, present participle of reticēre to keep silent =re- re- + -ticēre, comb. form of tacēre to be silent; see -ent] ret′i•cence, ret′i•cen•cy, n. ret′i•cent•ly, adv.

reticent

- Based on Latin tacere, "be silent," combined with re-, an intensive prefix.See also related terms for silent.

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	reticent - temperamentally disinclined to talkuntalkativetaciturn - habitually reserved and uncommunicative
	2.	reticent - cool and formal in manner restrained, unemotionalundemonstrative - not given to open expression of emotion
	3.	reticent - reluctant to draw attention to yourselfself-effacing, retiringunassertive - inclined to timidity or lack of self-confidence; "a shy unassertive person"

reticent

adjective uncommunicative, reserved, secretive, unforthcoming, quiet, silent, restrained, taciturn, tight-lipped, unspeaking, close-lipped, mum She is so reticent about her achievements.
open, frank, candid, expansive, talkative, communicative, voluble see reluctant

reticent

adjective1. Not speaking freely or openly:close, close-mouthed, incommunicable, incommunicative, reserved, silent, taciturn, tightlipped, uncommunicable, uncommunicative.2. Not friendly, sociable, or warm in manner:aloof, chill, chilly, cool, distant, offish, remote, reserved, solitary, standoffish, unapproachable, uncommunicative, undemonstrative, withdrawn.

Translations

reticentereticenza