adjective
Other Word Forms
- nonreticent adjective
- nonreticently adverb
- reticence noun
- reticency noun
- reticently adverb
- unreticent adjective
- unreticently adverb
Etymology
Origin of reticent
First recorded in 1825–35; from Latin reticent- (stem of reticēns ), present participle of reticēre “to be silent,” equivalent to re- “again, back” + -tic-, combining form of tacēre “to be silent” ( tacit ) + -ent- adjective suffix; re-, -ent
Compare meaning
How does reticent compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
However, it could be much more reticent about prospects for future rate cuts given high energy prices.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
Disney’s struggles with succession over the decades have become epic dramas filled with false starts, larger-than-life leaders reticent to go and allegations of hollow searches for a new CEO.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026
Chappell is actually the alter-ego of the more reticent Kayleigh Amstutz.
From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026
BCA’s Marko Papic isn’t reticent with his opinions and rarely sits on the fence.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 13, 2026
He had been a reticent child, and later became a timid man.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
