tact en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
Etymology
Borrowed from French tact, following a semantic shift from earlier tact (“sense of touch; feeling”), borrowed from Latin tāctus (“touched”). The borrowing was likely influenced by earlier English tact (“sense of touch; feeling”), which was a parallel borrowing directly from the Latin.
Meanings
-
(uncountable) Sensitive mental touch; special skill or faculty; keen perception or discernment; ready power of appreciating and doing what is required by circumstances; the ability to say the right thing and avoid statements that will give offence or pain even if true.
By the use of tact, she was able to calm her jealous husband.
I used tact when I told my fat uncle that his extra weight made him look better.
A tact which surpassed the tact of her sex as much as the tact of her sex surpassed the tact of ours.
1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XI, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:He had formed plans not inferior in grandeur and boldness to those of Richelieu, and had carried them into effect with a tact and wariness worthy of Mazarin.
1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XI, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
- (uncountable) Propriety; manners (etiquette).
Deriveds
tactless · tactfulness · tactful
Synonyms
tactfulness · discretion · diplomacy · sensitivity · consideration
Translations (38)
cs takt (sensitive mental touch) · de Takt (sensitive mental touch) · ja 愛想 (sensitive mental touch) · es tiento (sensitive mental touch) · pt tato (sensitive mental touch) · ko 재치 (sensitive mental touch) · yi שׂכל (sensitive mental touch) · ga stuaim (sensitive mental touch) · fa درایت (sensitive mental touch) · cy pwyll (sensitive mental touch) · it tatto (sensitive mental touch) · bg тактичност (sensitive mental touch) · pl takt (sensitive mental touch) · eo takto (sensitive mental touch) · cmn 機智 /机智 (sensitive mental touch) · es tacto (sensitive mental touch) · ja タクト (sensitive mental touch) · ar لَبَاقَة (sensitive mental touch) · ar حِسّ (sensitive mental touch) · mi atawhai matawhāiti (sensitive mental touch) · cmn 禮貌 /礼貌 (sensitive mental touch) · cmn 輕重感 /轻重感 (sensitive mental touch) · ru такт (sensitive mental touch) · gl tacto (sensitive mental touch) · fr tact (sensitive mental touch) · nl tact (sensitive mental touch) · cmn 分寸感 (sensitive mental touch) · gl tento (sensitive mental touch) · es mano izquierda (sensitive mental touch) · ru такти́чность (sensitive mental touch) · ja 如才なさ (sensitive mental touch) · tr takt (sensitive mental touch) · de Taktgefühl (sensitive mental touch) · ca tacte (sensitive mental touch) · fi tahdikkuus (sensitive mental touch) · cy tact (sensitive mental touch) · ja 礼儀 (sensitive mental touch) · ar لَمْس (sensitive mental touch)