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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
tactful
adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ NOUN
way
▪ The photograph would, Rose believed, be a tactful way of hinting that she didn't intend being around so much.
▪ As a parent, Ray said, he had appreciated the firm but tactful way Corrada had spoken to Joseph.
▪ I put this poser to him, though in a more tactful way, you understand.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ "Besides..." Melissa hesitated, trying to think of a tactful way of telling him the truth.
▪ Can you help me think of a tactful way to ask her to stop calling?
▪ I wish you'd be more tactful - didn't you realize she was divorced?
▪ It wasn't very tactful of you to ask whether he'd put on weight.
▪ Mandy thought her mother's outfit was a little too fancy, but was too tactful to say so.
▪ My parents tried to be tactful about my new boyfriend, but I knew they didn't like him.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ In as tactful a way as she could contrive she asked Shildon to hurry up with what he wanted to say.
▪ In the Senate, he has been a bit more tactful but is still a consummate partisan.
▪ Jane promises to give Zoe a tactful explanation.
▪ Nevertheless, Richard declared that he had witnesses to prove it and Philip made a tactful withdrawal, secretly plotting with Tancred.
▪ Penelope became the aggressor, tactful, knowledgeable, sure as the lover.
▪ Perhaps Hincmar's silence here was tactful, since Charles the Bald's sons had not distinguished themselves in the traditional roles.
▪ You're more tactful than I am.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Tactful

Tactful \Tact"ful\, a. Full of tact; characterized by a discerning sense of what is right, proper, or judicious.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
tactful

1844, from tact + -ful. Related: Tactfully; tactfulness.

Wiktionary
tactful

a. Possessing tact; able to deal with people in a sensitive manner.

WordNet
tactful
  1. adj. having or showing a sense of what is fitting and considerate in dealing with others; "she was tactful enough not to shatter his illusion"; "a tactful remark eased her embarrassment" [ant: tactless]

  2. showing skill and sensitivity in dealing with people; "by diplomatic conduct he avoided antagonizing anyone"; "a tactful way of correcting someone"; "the agency got the kid-glove treatment on Capitol Hill" [syn: kid-glove]

Usage examples of "tactful".

He had been released temporarily from duty in the aerology lab but McDevitt, who was a tactful and sympathetic person and had been aware of the friendship developing between the boy and Beetchermarlf.

As the Gombe Stream Chimps initiated a tumbling exhibition, Dirk Akuj pushed back his chair and made a tactful half bow.

Out of tactful solidarity the director in turn joined Kamila, then the assistant, and finally Ruzena, who plunged into the polyphonic laughter as if into a gentle embrace.

This was hardly tactful and incompatibilities of temperament between composer and librettist were becoming evident.

My fingers reluctantly loosened, and he beat a tactful retreat, sloshing half the drink as he went.

He groped for a tactful description, and Skan supplied him with an untactful one.

The time when Wiggy felt she had to be tactful with me seemed to be over.

He was experiencing that tactful treatment which had enabled Yat Soon to gain his fame as arbiter.

There never existed a Moro chief more tactful, pliable, forceful and favourable to the reorganization of the Moro community and its system of government along modern and civilized lines.

On the one hand, Harold was polite about running into them and tactful about not overstaying his welcome.

Livak demanded a breath before I could come up with a more tactful version of the same question, but Parrail was not affronted by this.

Lady Seriema was not an exacting employer for someone as tactful and efficient as he.

Dalip Amrit, the tactful one-time schoolmaster from Normork who was his private secretary, and bustling, hyperefficient Singobinda Mukund, the master of the household, a ruddy-faced Ni-moyan, and Countess Auranga of Bibiroon, who served as his official hostess in the absence of any consort.

So, finally, Weston decided to stop the ceaseless hammering of the billiard balls by a tactful process of his own.

My husband would have been content to remain safely in Cala if your uncouth witch-doctor had kept a tactful tongue in his head.