TACT

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does tact mean? 

• TACT (noun)
  The noun TACT has 1 sense:

1. consideration in dealing with others and avoiding giving offense

  Familiarity information: TACT used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TACT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Consideration in dealing with others and avoiding giving offense

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

tact; tactfulness

Hypernyms ("tact" is a kind of...):

considerateness; consideration; thoughtfulness (kind and considerate regard for others)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tact"):

delicacy; diplomacy; discreetness; finesse (subtly skillful handling of a situation)

address; savoir-faire (social skill)

 Context examples 

You may have better luck, or more tact in handling him.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Everybody liked her, for among her good gifts was tact.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

To my Publishers, for the aid their tact, their energy, their practical sense and frank liberality have afforded an unknown and unrecommended Author.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Have you the tact?

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Jackson, on account of his prowess and of the tact which he possessed, had been chosen as general regulator of the whole prize-fighting body, by whom he was usually alluded to as the Commander-in-Chief.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

You will be relieved to hear that there will be no war, that the Right Honourable Trelawney Hope will suffer no setback in his brilliant career, that the indiscreet Sovereign will receive no punishment for his indiscretion, that the Prime Minister will have no European complication to deal with, and that with a little tact and management upon our part nobody will be a penny the worse for what might have been a very ugly incident.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"What shall you do all your vacation?" asked Amy, changing the subject with tact.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

While doing so, I shall make it my business, with infinite tact and delicacy, to throw out a few remarks which may arouse the interest of the audience and cause some of them to desire to go more deeply into the matter.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

When my uncle became foreign minister in this administration he gave me several missions of trust, and as I always brought them to a successful conclusion, he came at last to have the utmost confidence in my ability and tact.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

In the village school I found you could perform well, punctually, uprightly, labour uncongenial to your habits and inclinations; I saw you could perform it with capacity and tact: you could win while you controlled.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)