different between taciturnity vs reticence

English

Etymology

taciturn +? -ity, from Latin taciturnitas.

Noun

taciturnity (countable and uncountable, plural taciturnities)

1. The trait of being taciturn.
   • 2021, Adam Liptak, Justice Clarence Thomas, Long Silent, Has Turned Talkative, in: The New York Times, May 3 2021

     Once he is back on the bench, will Justice Thomas revert to his usual taciturnity?

2. (law, Scotland) Failure to assert a legal right in a way that implies that it is being given up.

Translations

English

Etymology

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 retic?ns (“keeping silent, reticent, silent; keeping secret, concealing”) + -ia (suffix forming feminine abstract nouns). Retic?ns is the present active participle of retice? (“to keep silent; to keep secret, conceal”), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again’) + tace? (“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.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /???t?s(?)ns/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /???t?s(?)ns/, /-??-/
• Hyphenation: re?tic?ence

Noun

reticence (countable and uncountable, plural reticences)

1. (uncountable, also figuratively) Avoidance of saying or reluctance to say too much; discretion, tight-lippedness; (countable) an instance of acting in this manner.

   Synonyms: reserve, taciturnity
2. (uncountable) A silent and reserved nature.

   Synonyms: introversion, reservation; see also Thesaurus:shyness

   Antonyms: ostentation; see also Thesaurus:talkativeness
3. (uncountable) Followed by of: discretion or restraint in the use of something.
4. (uncountable) Often followed by to: hesitancy or reluctance (to do something).

   Synonyms: disinclination, hesitation
5. (countable, uncountable, rhetoric, obsolete) Synonym of aposiopesis (“an abrupt breaking-off in speech”)

Alternative forms

• reticense (archaic)

Related terms

• reticency
• reticent
• reticently

Translations

Verb

reticence (third-person singular simple present reticences, present participle reticencing, simple past and past participle reticenced)

1. (transitive, rare) To deliberately not listen or pay attention to; to disregard, to ignore.

   Synonym: pass over

Alternative forms

• reticense (archaic)

References