Tactful
/ˈtæktfʊl/noun
Showing skill and sensitivity in dealing with others.
Did you know?Tactful ultimately traces back to Latin *tangere* (“to touch”), the same root behind *tangible*, *contact*, and *intact*, so the word literally carries the ancient logic of careful contact.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tag-
“to touch, handle”
Latin
Latin
tangere
“to touch”
Latin
Latin
tactus
“touch; sense of touch”
17th Century
English
tact
“a sense of touch; later, delicate perception in dealing with others”
18th Century
French
tact
“delicacy, skill in handling people”
19th Century
English
tactful
“showing tact; considerate and diplomatic”