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tact

 - 4 dictionary results

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.
2. a keen sense of what is appropriate, tasteful, or aesthetically pleasing; taste; discrimination.
3. touch or the sense of touch.
Use tact in a Sentence
Origin:
1150–1200; < L tāctus sense of touch, equiv. to tag-, var. s. of tangere to touch + -tus suffix of v. action

Synonyms:
1. perception, sensitivity; diplomacy, poise.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To tact
tact   (tākt)   
n.  

  1. Acute sensitivity to what is proper and appropriate in dealing with others, including the ability to speak or act without offending.

  2. Archaic The sense of touch.


[French, from Old French, sense of touch, from Latin tāctus, from past participle of tangere, to touch; see tag- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: These nouns denote the ability to deal with others with skill, sensitivity, and finesse. Tact implies propriety and the ability to speak or act unoffensively: "He had . . . a tact that would preserve him from flagrant error in any society" (Francis Parkman).
Address suggests deftness and grace in social situations: "With the charms of beauty she combined the address of an accomplished intriguer" (Charles Merivale).
Diplomacy implies adroit management of difficult situations: Diffusing the confrontation required delicate diplomacy.
Savoir-faire involves knowing the right or graceful thing to say or do: The hosts set the shy visitor at ease with their savoir-faire.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

tact 
1651, "sense of touch or feeling" (with an isolated instance from c.1200), from L. tactus "touch, feeling, handling, sense of touch," from root of tangere "to touch" (see tangent). Meaning "sense of "discernment, diplomacy, etc." first recorded 1804, from a sense that developed in Fr. cognate tact.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Abbreviations & Acronyms
TACT
total audit concept technique
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
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