adjective
C2
Proficient
tacit
TASS-it
Tacit (adjective) means Understood or agreed without being said aloud or written down. Example: “There was a tacit agreement that nobody would mention the argument again.”
adjective
1
Understood or agreed without being said aloud or written down.
"There was a tacit agreement that nobody would mention the argument again."
"His silence gave tacit approval to the plan."
2
specialist Of knowledge or skill: held by experience and difficult to write down or teach directly.
"Much of what a good nurse knows is tacit knowledge picked up on the ward."
How to use tacit
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAgreed or understood without anyone actually saying it.
When to use it
Formal to neutral; common in legal, business and academic writing.
Memory tip
It is almost always used before a noun — tacit consent, a tacit rule — rather than after a verb.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
tacit agreement
tacit approval
tacit consent
tacit knowledge
tacit understanding
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Fill the gap
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There was a _____ agreement that nobody would mention the argument again.
Etymology
From Latin tacitus "silent, passed over in silence", the past participle of tacere "to be silent".
Synonyms
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Related words
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between tacit and implicit?
They overlap heavily. "Implicit" means contained in something without being stated, and can apply to a text or a rule. "Tacit" specifically means agreed or accepted without anyone speaking, so it fits agreements, consent and approval best.
What is the difference between tacit and taciturn?
They share a Latin root but differ in use. Tacit describes something unspoken — a tacit agreement. Taciturn describes a person who says very little by nature — a taciturn colleague.
What is tacit knowledge?
It is know-how that people acquire through practice and can rarely put into words: judging when bread dough is ready, or reading a room. It contrasts with explicit knowledge, which can be written down and passed on in a manual.
What is the meaning of tacit?
"tacit" (adjective) means understood or agreed without being said aloud or written down.
