tact

[ takt ]

noun

1. a keen sense of what to say or do to avoid giving offense; skill in dealing with difficult or delicate situations.

   Synonyms: poise, diplomacy, sensitivity, perception

2. a keen sense of what is appropriate, tasteful, or aesthetically pleasing; taste; discrimination.
3. touch or the sense of touch.

tact

/ tækt /

noun

1. a sense of what is fitting and considerate in dealing with others, so as to avoid giving offence or to win good will; discretion
2. skill or judgment in handling difficult or delicate situations; diplomacy

Derived Forms

• ˈtactfully, adverb
• ˈtactful, adjective
• ˈtactfulness, noun
• ˈtactless, adjective
• ˈtactlessness, noun
• ˈtactlessly, adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of tact¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; from Latin tāctus “sense of touch,” equivalent to tag-, variant stem of tangere “to touch” + -tus suffix of verbal action

Word History and Origins

Origin of tact¹

C17: from Latin tactus a touching, from tangere to touch

Example Sentences

Banksy’s art, which tends to be graffitied by the artist on public buildings, at times does not remain in tact for long.

From BBC

The other side of his personality was witnessed by those of who saw Tuchel at Chelsea where he could be charming, extremely humorous and incredibly astute, as well as acting with great dignity and tact when forced into being the front man for a club in meltdown when owner Roman Abramovich’s assets were frozen in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

From BBC

And judicial tact, he said, required him to suppress his increasing discomfort with the direction of the Supreme Court.

From New York Times

“She does and she doesn’t. To royalty, all the rest of the world are rodents in a manner of speaking. As for her lady-in-waiting, Lady Augusta Drear, she is mortally afraid of mice. And so I must exercise all my tact as I go about my duties.”

From Literature

“It has been brought to our attention that your human Cranstons have not had a good day at sea. We understand that the older daughter is a poor sailor. And the mother was heard to cry out that the ship was sinking during lifeboat drill. This shows a great lack of tact. In fact, none.”

From Literature

Related Words

• common-sense
• discretion
• prudence
• refinement
• sensitivity
• subtlety