quietude

[ kwahy-i-tood, -tyood ]

noun

1. the state of being quiet; tranquility; calmness; stillness:

   After the storm passed, there was a lovely quietude.

quietude

/ ˈkwaɪəˌtjuːd /

noun

1. the state or condition of being quiet, peaceful, calm, or tranquil

Word History and Origins

Origin of quietude¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Late Latin quiētūdō, equivalent to Latin quiētus quiet + -tūdō -tude

Example Sentences

It was Tuesday afternoon, just a few hours before polls were to begin closing on the East Coast, and Kamala Harris’ L.A. neighborhood was a picture of midday quietude.

From Los Angeles Times

In recent weeks, the quietude of this affluent Beverly Hills neighborhood has been filled with the buzzing of tourists and true crime fanatics all swarming to peek at the infamous Menendez mansion on Elm Drive — where two brothers murdered their parents in 1989.

From Los Angeles Times

Her quietude does not make her enigmatic.

From Slate

Without the devices, there’s a sublime and supreme sense of quietude.

From Salon

Sawai demonstrates how a performance made of subtle emotional expression, minimal physical movement, and quietude steadily ramps up to the tour de force ninth episode, “Crimson Sky.”

From Salon