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Tact vs Discretion - What's the difference?

tact | discretion |

As nouns the difference between tact and discretion

is that tact is the sense of touch; feeling while discretion is the quality of being discreet or circumspect.

As a verb tact

is (psychology) to use a tact (a kind of verbal operant; see noun sense).

tact

English

(wikipedia tact) (Webster 1913)

Noun

(en noun)
  • The sense of touch; feeling.
  • *
    • Did you suppose that I could not make myself sensible to tact as well as sight?
  • * J. Le Conte
    • Now, sight is a very refined tact .
  • (music) The stroke in beating time.
  • Sensitive mental touch; peculiar skill or faculty; nice perception or discernment; ready power of appreciating and doing what is required by circumstances.
  • *
    • He had formed plans not inferior in grandeur and boldness to those of Richelieu, and had carried them into effect with a tact and wariness worthy of Mazarin.
  • *
    • A tact' which surpassed the '''tact''' of her sex as much as the '''tact''' of her sex surpassed the ' tact of ours.
  • The ability to deal with embarrassing situations carefully and without doing or saying anything that will annoy or upset other people; careful consideration in dealing with others to avoid giving offense; the ability to say the right thing.
    • By the use of tact , she was able to calm her jealous husband.
    I used tact when I told my fat uncle that his extra weight made him look better.
  • (psychology) A verbal operant which is controlled by a nonverbal stimulus (such as an object, event, or property of an object) and is maintained by nonspecific social reinforcement (praise).
  • * 2013 , Jacob L. Gewirtz, William M. Kurtines, Jacob L. Lamb, Intersections With Attachment
    • Skinner (1957) saw such tacts as responses that are reinforced socially.

    Derived terms

    * tactful * tactless

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (psychology) To use a tact (a kind of verbal operant; see noun sense).

    • External links

    * * ----

    discretion

    English

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • The quality of being discreet or circumspect.
    • Bob showed great discretion despite his knowledge of the affair.
  • The ability to make wise choices or decisions.
  • The freedom to make one's own judgements.
    • I leave that to your discretion .

    Antonyms

    *

    Derived terms

    * discretionary *

    Anagrams

    * ----