Silent vs. Silence — What's the Difference?

Free from sound.

The absence of sound.

Not speaking.

Lack of communication.

Not disclosing information.

A gesture or signal to cease noise.

Not active or not emitting signals.

A period of time without noise.

Without audible accompaniment.

The condition of being forgotten or not mentioned.

Marked by absence of noise or sound; still

Silence is the absence of ambient audible sound, the emission of sounds of such low intensity that they do not draw attention to themselves, or the state of having ceased to produce sounds; this latter sense can be extended to apply to the cessation or absence of any form of communication, whether through speech or other medium.Sometimes speakers fall silent when they hesitate in searching for a word, or interrupt themselves before correcting themselves. Discourse analysis shows that people use brief silences to mark the boundaries of prosodic units, in turn-taking, or as reactive tokens, e.g., as a sign of displeasure, disagreement, embarrassment, desire to think, confusion, and the like.

Not inclined to speak; not talkative

The condition or quality of being or keeping still and silent.

Not speaking or refraining from speech

The absence of sound; stillness.

Not saying anything about a particular matter; making no mention

A period of time without speech or noise.

Not voiced or expressed; unspoken

Refusal or failure to speak out.

Having no spoken dialogue and usually no soundtrack. Used of a film.

To make silent or bring to silence

(Linguistics) Having no phonetic value; unpronounced

To curtail the expression of; suppress

Inactive; quiescent

(Genetics) To interfere with the expression of (a gene or gene segment) so that its biological function is suppressed.

Producing no detectable signs or symptoms

The absence of any sound.

A silent movie.

The act of refraining from speaking.

Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet.

Form of meditative worship practiced by the Society of Friends (Quakers); meeting for worship.

Not speaking; indisposed to talk; speechless; mute; taciturn; not loquacious; not talkative.

(transitive) To make (someone or something) silent.

Keeping at rest; inactive; calm; undisturbed.

(transitive) To repress the expression of something.

(pronunciation) Not pronounced; having no sound; quiescent.

(transitive) To suppress criticism, etc.

Having no effect; not operating; inefficient.

(molecular biology) To block gene expression.

(technology) With the sound turned off; usually on silent or in silent mode.

(euphemistic) To murder.

(technology) Without audio capability.

(imperative) Be silent.

Hidden, unseen.

The state of being silent; entire absence of sound or noise; absolute stillness.

Of an edit or change to a text, not explicitly acknowledged.

Forbearance from, or absence of, speech; taciturnity; muteness.

(genetics) Not implying significant modifications which would affect a peptide sequence.

Secrecy; as, these things were transacted in silence.

Undiagnosed or undetected because of an absence of symptoms.

The cessation of rage, agitation, or tumilt; calmness; quiest; as, the elements were reduced to silence.

Of distilled spirit: having no flavour or odour.

Absence of mention; oblivion.

(uncountable) That which is silent; a time of silence.

Be silent; - used elliptically for let there be silence, or keep silence.

A silent movie

To compel to silence; to cause to be still; to still; to hush.

Free from sound or noise; absolutely still; perfectly quiet.

To put to rest; to quiet.

Not speaking; indisposed to talk; speechless; mute; taciturn; not loquacious; not talkative.

To cause to cease firing, as by a vigorous cannonade; as, to silence the batteries of an enemy.

Keeping at rest; inactive; calm; undisturbed; as, the wind is silent.

The state of being silent (as when no one is speaking);

Not pronounced; having no sound; quiescent; as, e is silent in "fable."

The absence of sound;

Having no effect; not operating; inefficient.

A refusal to speak when expected;

That which is silent; a time of silence.

The trait of keeping things secret

Marked by absence of sound;

Cause to be quiet or not talk;

Failing to speak or communicate etc when expected to;

Keep from expression, for example by threats or pressure;

Indicated by necessary connotation though not expressed directly;

Not made to sound;

Having a frequency below or above the range of human audibility;

Unable to speak because of hereditary deafness

Yes, an individual can choose to be silent (not speaking or making noise) even in a noisy environment.

Silence can be broken by any sound, whether it's speech, music, natural sounds, or noise.

Silence is the state or condition where no sound is present.

Yes, silence can be a powerful tool in communication, used for emphasis, reflection, or to convey non-verbal messages.

Silence can be ambiguous; it might indicate agreement, disagreement, indifference, or contemplation, depending on the context.

Being silent means not producing sound, not speaking, or maintaining quietness.

Not necessarily; silence can be peaceful, uncomfortable, or oppressive, depending on the context.

Yes, if a machine operates without making noise, it can be described as silent.

The silent treatment involves someone choosing to be silent towards someone else as a form of communication or punishment, while silence can exist without such intent.

Silent films lack spoken dialogue and synchronous sound, but they were often accompanied by live music during showings.

Yes, silence can sometimes be uncomfortable or awkward, especially in social situations where communication is expected.

In art and literature, silence can be depicted as a powerful state, filled with emotional, spiritual, or existential meaning.

A silent witness may not verbally communicate but can provide evidence or information through their presence or actions.

Silence is a key element in meditation and mindfulness practices, helping individuals to focus, reflect, and find inner peace.

While primarily defined as the absence of sound, silence can also refer to a lack of communication or a profound quietness that transcends mere sound.