silence (noun)

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

"there was a shocked silence"; "he gestured for silence"

silence, quiet (noun)

the absence of sound

"he needed silence in order to sleep"; "the street was quiet"

muteness, silence (noun)

a refusal to speak when expected

"his silence about my contribution was surprising"

secrecy, secretiveness, silence (verb)

the trait of keeping things secret

hush, quieten, silence, still, shut up, hush up (verb)

cause to be quiet or not talk

"Please silence the children in the church!"

silence (verb)

keep from expression, for example by threats or pressure

"All dissenters were silenced when the dictator assumed power"

silence (Noun)

The lack of any sound.

silence (Noun)

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

silence (Noun)

The action of refraining from speaking.

silence (Verb)

To make something silent.

silence (Verb)

To suppress criticism etc.

silence (Verb)

To block gene expression.

silence (Interjection)

be quiet

Silence

Silence is the lack of audible sound or presence of sounds of very low intensity. By analogy, the word silence can also refer to any absence of communication, including in media other than speech. Silence is also used as total communication, in reference to non verbal communication and spiritual connection. Silence also refers to no sounds uttered by anybody in a room or area. Silence is an important factor in many cultural spectacles, as in rituals. In discourse analysis, speakers use brief absences of speech to mark the boundaries of prosodic units. Silence in speech can be hesitation, stutters, self-correction—or deliberate slowing of speech to clarify or aid processing of ideas. These are short silences. Longer pauses in language occur in interactive roles, reactive tokens, or turn-taking. According to cultural norms, silence can be positive or negative. For example, in a Christian Methodist faith organization silence and reflection during the sermons might be appreciated by the congregation, while in a Southern Baptist church, silence might mean disagreement with what is being said, or perhaps disconnectedness from the congregated community.

Silence

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, for example, as a sign of displeasure, disagreement, embarrassment, desire to think, confusion, and the like. Relatively prolonged intervals of silence can be used in rituals; in some religious disciplines, people maintain silence for protracted periods, or even for the rest of their lives, as an ascetic means of spiritual transformation.