# tact

/ˈtækt/ (US) · /tˈækt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/tact
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. social diplomacy

noun · CEFR B2

the ability to say or do things in a way that does not upset other people.

For teachers: the ability to navigate sensitive situations or deliver difficult truths without causing offense.

- She showed great tact when she told him he didn't get the job.
- The manager handled the dispute with remarkable tact, ensuring that both parties felt heard without escalating the conflict further.

### 2. psychology term

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a name for a word used to describe something you see or hear, usually to get praise.

For teachers: a verbal operant evoked by a nonverbal stimulus and maintained by generalized social reinforcement.

- When the child says 'dog' after seeing one, it is called a tact.
- In Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior, the tact is distinguished from the mand by its relationship to environmental stimuli rather than states of deprivation.

### 3. music beat

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

the movement of a hand or stick to show the beat in music.

For teachers: the stroke or motion used in beating time for a musical performance.

- The conductor gave a sharp tact to start the orchestra.
- The treatise describes the precise tact required to maintain the tempo of a complex polyphonic composition.

### 4. short for tactic

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

a short way of saying 'tactic' or a specific plan.

For teachers: a clipping of the word 'tactic', referring to a specific action intended to achieve a goal.

- Changing the subject was a clever tact to avoid the question.
- The defense attorney's new tact caught the prosecution off guard during the final hours of the trial.

### 5. to label something

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to name or describe an object you see.

For teachers: to emit a verbal operant in response to a nonverbal stimulus.

- The student learned to tact various colors during the lesson.
- The therapist worked with the patient to tact internal emotional states as part of a broader communication program.

## Examples

- She showed great tact when telling him the bad news.
- The manager used considerable tact to resolve the dispute between the two employees without making either feel blamed.
- Diplomacy requires a rare combination of firm resolve and delicate tact, ensuring that national interests are protected without unnecessarily alienating foreign allies through blunt or insensitive communication.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.