tacit

Summary

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Episode Overview

Podcast: Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day
Episode: "tacit" | July 9, 2026
Host: Peter Sokolowski

Today's episode explores the meaning, usage, and etymology of the word "tacit", delving into how it’s commonly used in language and literature.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

What Does "Tacit" Mean? (00:00-00:40)

• "Tacit" is an adjective.
• Definition: Used to describe something that is expressed or understood without being directly stated.
• It's a formal word that applies to agreements, approvals, emotions, and even insults that go unspoken but are understood through context or action.

Examples of "Tacit" in Use (00:40-01:30)

• Boston.com Reference:

  “Where modern documentaries are slick productions filled with preconceived notions, embedded narratives, and tacit approval of their subjects, Frederick Wiseman's work is slow, contemplative, and refreshingly slant free.”
  (Read by Peter Sokolowski, 00:40)

• Literary Example:
  From Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights — Mr. Lockwood reflects on his “tacit insults” to a group of dogs, which were “not expressed with words but in this case facial expressions.”
  (Summary by Peter Sokolowski, 00:55-01:10)
• Explanation: Tacit can refer to insults, agreements, or approvals that are never voiced aloud but are clearly understood by others involved.

Further Definitions & Context (01:30-01:50)

• Extended Meanings:
  • Implied or indicated as by an act or by silence, but not expressed.
  • Example: A tacit agreement is understood without being explicitly stated.
  • Parental approval: If your children have your tacit approval to borrow the car, no words need to be exchanged.

Etymology & Related Words (01:50-02:02)

• Etymology:

  “Tacit traces back to the Latin verb tacēre, meaning ‘to be silent’.”

• Related Word:

  “Which is also the ancestor of the English adjective taciturn, used to describe someone who tends to be quiet.”
  (Peter Sokolowski, 01:54)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the subtlety of "tacit":

  “Tacit is an adjective. It's a formal word used to describe something that is expressed or understood without being directly stated.”
  — Peter Sokolowski (00:09)

• Wuthering Heights reference:

  “His tacit insults were, by the relevant definition of tacit, not expressed with words but in this case facial expressions.”
  — Peter Sokolowski (01:08)

• On familial tacit approvals:

  “If your children have your tacit approval, you don't have to ask or be asked.”
  — Peter Sokolowski (01:45)

• On origins:

  “Tacit traces back to the Latin verb tacēre, meaning to be silent, which is also the ancestor of the English adjective taciturn.”
  — Peter Sokolowski (01:52)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:00 — Introduction and spelling of "tacit"
• 00:09 — Primary definition and explanation
• 00:40 — Example from Boston.com
• 00:55 — Literary example from Wuthering Heights
• 01:30 — "Tacit" as implied or indicated but not spoken
• 01:45 — Everyday examples (parental approval)
• 01:50 — Etymology and related word "taciturn"

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Final Notes

• The episode succinctly illustrates "tacit" with accessible literary and real-world examples.
• The interplay between implied communication and explicit language is highlighted.
• Etymological insights reinforce the subtle power of unspoken understanding in English.

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For more words and language tips, visit merriam-webster.com.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign. It's Merriam Webster's Word of the Day for July 9th. Today's word is tacit, spelled T A C I T. Tacit is an adjective. It's a formal word used to describe something that is expressed or understood without being directly stated. Here's the word used in a sentence from Boston.com where modern documentaries are slick productions filled with preconceived notions, embedded narratives, and tacit approval of their subjects, Frederick Wiseman's work is slow, contemplative, and refreshingly slant free. In the first chapter of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, the narrator, Mr. Lockwood, recounts warily encountering three dogs. Although he was sure to sit still, he admits in retrospect that imagining they would scarcely understand tacit insults, I unfortunately indulged in winking and making faces at the trio. One subsequently leapt onto his knees in fury. His tacit insults were, by the relevant definition of tacit, not expressed with words but in this case facial expressions. Tacit can also mean implied or indicated, as by an act or by silence, but not expressed. A tacit agreement is one that is understood without being directly stated. And if you have your parents tacit approval to borrow the car, or if your children have your tacit approval, you don't have to ask or be asked. Tacit traces back to the Latin verb takeere, meaning to be silent, which is also the answer of the English adjective taciturn, used to describe someone who tends to be quiet with your word of the day. I'm Peter Sokolowski.

[B]

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