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Tactics vs Tact - What's the difference?

tactics | tact |

As nouns the difference between tactics and tact

is that tactics is (military) the military science that deals with achieving the objectives set by strategy while tact is the sense of touch; feeling.

As a verb tact is

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

tactics

Alternative forms

* tacticks (obsolete)

Noun

(en-plural noun)
  • (military) The military science that deals with achieving the objectives set by strategy.
  • (military) Manoeuvres used against an enemy.
  • (military) The employment and ordered arrangement of forces in relation to each otherJoint Publication 1-02 U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms; 12 April 2001 (As Amended Through 14 April 2006)..
  • English plurals
  • Derived terms

    * military tactics

    References

    tact

    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).