reticence
Use Reticence in a sentence
ə noun
the state of being reticent, or reserved, especially with regard to speaking freely; restraint: His natural reticence seemed to disappear under the influence of alcohol.
Sometimes, ret·i·cen·cy.
Related forms
non·ret·i·cence, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To reticence
Collins
World English Dictionary
reticent (ˈrɛtɪsənt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| not open or communicative; not saying all that one knows; taciturn; reserved | |
| [C19: from Latin reticēre to keep silent, from | |
| 'reticence | |
| —n | |
| 'reticently | |
| —adv | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Reticence
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
reticence
c.1600, from Fr. réticence, from L. reticentia "silence," from reticere "keep silent," from re-, intensive prefix, + tacere "be silent" (see tact). "Not in common use until after 1830" [OED].
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
And eventually the fear, prejudice, and reticence that kept witnesses from coming forward began to subside.
The reticence partly reflects fears about consumer unease and unwelcome attention from regulators.
All my instincts run toward reticence, to protecting my family from invasions of our private space.
Most of it is hidden, withheld by custom, reticence and the cultural habits of gender pride.
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