silence

[ sahy-luhns ]

noun

1. absence of any sound or noise; stillness.
2. the state or fact of being silent; muteness.
3. absence or omission of mention, comment, or expressed concern:

   the conspicuous silence of our newspapers on local graft.

4. the state of being forgotten; oblivion:

   in the news again after years of silence.

5. concealment; secrecy.

verb (used with object)

, si·lenced, si·lenc·ing.

1. to put or bring to silence; still.

   Synonyms: gag, muzzle, quell, hush

2. to put (doubts, fears, etc.) to rest; quiet.
3. Military. to still (enemy guns), as by more effective fire.

interjection

1. be silent! “Silence!” the teacher shouted.

silence

/ ˈsaɪləns /

noun

1. the state or quality of being silent
2. the absence of sound or noise; stillness
3. refusal or failure to speak, communicate, etc, when expected

   his silence on the subject of their promotion was alarming

4. a period of time without noise
5. oblivion or obscurity

verb

1. to bring to silence
2. to put a stop to; extinguish

   to silence all complaint

Other Words From

• over·silence noun
• un·silenced adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of silence¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English (noun), from Old French, from Latin silentium, derivative of silēre “to be quiet”; silent

Word History and Origins

Origin of silence¹

C13: via Old French from Latin silēntium, from silēre to be quiet. See silent

Example Sentences

External validation didn't silence the voices in his head - but it gave him a healthy dose of perspective.

From BBC

"I recognise the bravery of every victim-survivor who has come forward to share their experiences, often after years of silence," he said.

From BBC

This makes sense when one considers the diversity of dysfunctions that appear in cells of people with chronic diseases: dysfunctions in cell signaling, metabolic processes, gene expression and gene silencing, and more.

From Science Daily

Moreover Arhgap36 genes in mice, cats, and humans acquire chemical modifications that silence them on one of the two X chromosomes in females, Sasaki’s team documented, suggesting the gene is subject to X inactivation.

From Science Magazine

Breaking the silence seems like a good idea, but how?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blackout
• calm
• lull
• peace
• quiet
• reticence
• secrecy
• stillness