reticence

Meanings

Noun

• Avoidance of saying or reluctance to say too much; discretion, tight-lippedness; an instance of acting in this manner.
• A silent and reserved nature.
• Followed by of: discretion or restraint in the use of something.
• Often followed by to: hesitancy or reluctance (to do something).
• Synonym of aposiopesis

Verb

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

Origin

• . Reticēns is the present active participle of reticeō, from re- + taceō (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tak- or *tHk-). The English word is cognate with Italian reticenza, Portuguese reticência, Spanish reticencia.
• The verb is derived from the noun.