Wordwyrt

reticence

/ˈɹetɪsəns/REH-tih-suhns
/ˈɹɛtɪsəns/REH-tih-suhns

Meaningthe state or quality of keeping silent

Common meaning: the quality or state of being reticent

‘again’ + ‘to be silent’ → reticence

Journey through time

  1. Latinreticere‘to keep silent’source
  2. Englishreticent‘reserved’source
  3. Englishreticent‘reserved, saying little’
  4. Englishformed in English from reticentreticence‘the quality or state of being reticent’ · today

Sources & notes

Inferred source: no dictionary we use has an entry for this exact word. Its history is worked out from closely related, listed words in the same family, and we are trusting that link, so bear that in mind. Inferred meaning: the state or quality of keeping silent. It can be inferred from any of: reticent.

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from reticent + -ence (inferred: this exact word is not listed in our dictionaries).

Roots

  • taceō Latin “to be silent”

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app