reticence

Meaning

Noun

1. (also, figuratively, uncountable) Avoidance of saying or reluctance to say too much; discretion, tight-lippedness; (countable) an instance of acting in this manner.
2. (uncountable) A silent and reserved nature.
3. (uncountable) Followed by of: discretion or restraint in the use of something.
4. (proscribed, uncountable) Often followed by to: hesitancy or reluctance (to do something).
5. (countable, obsolete, rhetoric, uncountable) Synonym of aposiopesis (“an abrupt breaking-off in speech”).

Verb

To deliberately not listen or pay attention to; to disregard, to ignore.

Opposite of

ostentation, curtness, reticence, taciturnity

Synonyms

silence

taciturnity

reserve

restraint

uncommunicativeness

reserved character

reservedness

reservation

passing over in silence

shyness

coyness

demureness

discretion

hesitation

modesty

preterition

quiet

quietness

reluctance

secrecy

secretiveness

self-restraint

silentness

teetotalism

temperance

timidity

self-effacement

abstention

teetotaling

abstentions

abstinence

aloofness

chastity

closeness

confidence

constraint

continence

continency

Translations

Schweigsamkeit

réticence

reticenza

Verschwiegenheit

riserbo

susma

reserva

σιωπηλότητα

Zurückhaltung

εχεμύθεια

Wortkargheit

réserve

Reserviertheit

Keuschheit

قِلّة كلام

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈɹɛtɪs(ə)ns/

Etymology

Cognate with French: réticence

Cognate with Italian: reticenza

Cognate with Portuguese: reticência

Cognate with Spanish: reticencia

In summary

The noun is borrowed from Middle French réticence (“act of keeping silent, silence; reserve; aposiopesis”) (modern French réticence (“tight-lippedness, reticence”)), or derived from its etymon Latin reticentia (“act of keeping silent, silence; aposiopesis”), from reticēns (“keeping silent, reticent, silent; keeping secret, concealing”) + -ia (suffix forming feminine abstract nouns). Reticēns is the present active participle of reticeō (“to keep silent; to keep secret, conceal”), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again’) + taceō (“to be silent, keep quiet”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tak- or *tHk-). The English word is cognate with Italian reticenza (“reticence”), Portuguese reticência, Spanish reticencia (“reticence; reluctance”).
The verb is derived from the noun.