The Right to Silence, and the Minute of It
Silence is the absence of sound. It also has legal weight and ceremonial use, and neither is quite what people assume.
Silence is the absence of sound or speech. Two formal uses matter. The *right to silence* means a suspect need not answer questions, though in England and Wales a court may in some circumstances draw inferences from that silence. And the observed minute or two minutes' silence is a modern ritual, dating from 1919.
- Absence of sound. *Complete silence.*
- Refusal to speak. *His silence on the matter.*
- A period of remembrance. *A two-minute silence.*
- To silence — to stop from speaking. *Critics were silenced.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | silence | An awkward silence. |
| Plural | silences | Long silences. |
| Verb | silence | Silence the alarm. |
| Adjective | silent | A silent film. |
| Adverb | silently | Moving silently. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The hall fell silent.Fall silent is the usual phrase.
- He exercised his right to silence.Legal.
- Silence is golden.A proverb, usually quoted at the talkative.
Kinds of silence
- Right to silence — not being obliged to answer questions
- Minute's silence — collective remembrance, from 1919 onwards
- Radio silence — no transmissions, literal or figurative
- Vow of silence — a religious undertaking
- Awkward silence — the everyday variety
From Latin *silentium*, from *silere*, to be quiet. The related *tacit*, from *tacere*, gives *taciturn* and *tacitly*.
When did the two-minute silence begin?
In 1919, at the first anniversary of the armistice. It was proposed as a way of marking the moment across the whole country at once.
Does staying silent count against you?
It depends on the jurisdiction. In England and Wales a court may in defined circumstances draw an adverse inference; in others silence carries no consequence.