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Definition of "reticence" []

  • The state or quality of being reticent; reserve. (noun)
  • The state or quality of being reluctant; unwillingness. (noun)
  • An instance of being reticent. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "reticence" in a sentence
  • "Humphrey is particularly eloquent in speaking of that root among our other sins of helplessness which he calls reticence."
  • "That which we call reticence is more frequently an inability than an unwillingness to express itself."
  • "This reticence is understandable when one sees the way politicians use faith, or religions play the game of politics."