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
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now—he or she is never really in society; a temporary visa is issued with the tacit stipulation that it will be withdrawn and access denied if confidences are betrayed.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.
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now—he or she is never really in society; a temporary visa is issued with the tacit stipulation that it will be withdrawn and access denied if confidences are betrayed.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
Employees in startups often wear multiple hats, balancing building, managing growth, hiring and training—all while navigating an environment where much of the knowledge is tacit and resides with early employees.
—Rana Robillard, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
The announcement was striking not because of its finality but because of its tacit admission that the alter ego had reached its limits.
—Carrie Battan, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2025
Amid the political turmoil, Myanmar has become a cyber scam hotspot, where fraud, cybercrime, human trafficking, money laundering and corruption have flourished, often with the tacit consent of the junta, experts say.
—Kocha Olarn, CNN, 5 Feb. 2025
His failure to strongly condemn Russian interference left an unsettling impression of tacit approval.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tacit
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Rana Robillard, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
The announcement was striking not because of its finality but because of its tacit admission that the alter ego had reached its limits.
—Carrie Battan, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2025
Amid the political turmoil, Myanmar has become a cyber scam hotspot, where fraud, cybercrime, human trafficking, money laundering and corruption have flourished, often with the tacit consent of the junta, experts say.
—Kocha Olarn, CNN, 5 Feb. 2025
His failure to strongly condemn Russian interference left an unsettling impression of tacit approval.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tacit
Articles Related to tacit
Cite this Entry
“Tacit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tacit. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tacit
adjective
tac·it
ˈtas-ət 
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
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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