DictionaryRoot: -ens
Latin
-ens
doing or being something
Forms
- -ens
- -ent- — The longer form used before Latin endings.
Origin
A Latin ending describing ongoing action, continuing an older Indo-European -nt- pattern.
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adjective
reticent
RET-ih-sunt/ˈretɪsnt/
Inclined to hold back rather than express oneself freely.
Etymology
The underlying image is keeping silent, with re- perhaps strengthening that idea. A disposition not to speak freely becomes reserve about revealing one's thoughts or feelings.
Related word entries
- abstinent
- acquiescent
- adjacent
- adolescent
- agent
- coherent
- competent
- concurrent
- confident
- confluent
- consequent
- consistent
- convenient
- correspondent
- decadent
- decent
- dependent
- despondent
- different
- diffident
- divergent
- docent
- effulgent
- existent
- exponent
- fervent
- florescent
- fluent
- incidental
- inconvenient
- indecent
- indifferentLack of interest or preference
- indifferentUnremarkable quality
- indigent
- indolentAvoiding effort
- indolentMild medical course
- insufficient
- insurgent
- intelligent
- intermittent
- lucent
- negligent
- obedient
- penitent
- persistent
- president
- proponent
- provident
- pubescent
- recurrent
- referent
- repellent
- resilient
- reticent
- sentient
- serpent
- silent
- stringent
- torrent
- translucent
- transparent