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.
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 tact
00:10
Tact
is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
tact (tækt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 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 |
| [C17: from Latin tactus a touching, from tangere to touch] | |
| 'tactful | |
| —adj | |
| 'tactfully | |
| —adv | |
| 'tactfulness | |
| —n | |
| 'tactless | |
| —adj | |
| 'tactlessly | |
| —adv | |
| 'tactlessness | |
| —n | |
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
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
tact
1650s, "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, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
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.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
One is the rear arm rests, cigarette lighters and center arm rest are still in-tact and still working.
Prudence and tact compelled me to say little on this point.
Tact and grace go a long way no matter what the negotiation.
Use wisdom and tact to direct energies into constructive avenues.
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