tacit understanding
noun phraseUK /ˌtæsɪt ˌʌndəˈstændɪŋ/
US /ˌtæsɪt ˌʌndərˈstændɪŋ/
A silent agreement that people share without ever saying it out loud.
The two friends had a tacit understanding that they would always sit together at lunch.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. An unstated but shared belief about how something should be done.
There was a tacit understanding among the team that meetings would start on time.
3. A hidden agreement that everyone knows about but no one mentions.
By tacit understanding, the neighbors never discussed the noisy dog.
4. A bond between people who can guess each other's thoughts without words.
The twins had a tacit understanding and often finished each other's sentences.