tactful

adjective

tact·​ful ˈtakt-fəl How to pronounce tactful (audio)
: having or showing tact
tactfully adverb
tactfulness noun

Examples of tactful in a Sentence

He gave a tactful critique of her story. It was tactful of her not to criticize me in front of my boss.
Recent Examples on the Web There is nothing tactful, after all, about the prejudices that assault George on every corner. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024 As such, when Heart of Glass popped up on the playlist, no one made a fuss, but simply shared a tactful nod, wink, and cheers towards the center of the room. Freya Drohan, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2024 In any case, Murdoch was tactful in his Hollywood interactions, carefully separating politics from filmmaking decisions. Peter Bart, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2024 While a multitude of Hollywood heavy-hitters have recently voiced their enthusiastic support for Harris’ presidential bid, those working on her campaign are trying to be tactful about who gets an invite to the upcoming DNC, sources told TMZ. Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 10 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tactful 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tactful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tactful was in 1864

Dictionary Entries Near tactful

Cite this Entry

“Tactful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tactful. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

tactful

adjective
tact·​ful ˈtakt-fəl How to pronounce tactful (audio)
: having or showing tact
tactfully adverb
tactfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on tactful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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