reticent

/ˈɹetɪsənt/REH-tih-suhnt

/ˈɹɛtɪsənt/REH-tih-suhnt

Meaningkeeping silent

Common meaning: reserved, saying little

reagain; back
ticto be silentLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1833 · scan
entadjective ending: being or doing

‘again’ + ‘to be silent’ → reticent

Journey through time

Latinreticere‘to keep silent’source
Englishreticent‘reserved’source
Englishreticent‘reserved, saying little’ · today

Sources & notes

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: Built on Latin taceō ‘to be silent’.

Roots

taceō Latin “to be silent”

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