Silent means making no sound at all. A silent library is one where people read quietly without talking. A silent movie is a film made before technology existed to record actors' voices, so viewers watched the story unfold through images and written dialogue cards. When you stay silent during a test, you keep your mouth closed and don't whisper to your neighbor.

Silence can serve many purposes. Sometimes it shows respect, like observing a moment of silence to honor someone who has died. Sometimes it protects you, like when you exercise your right to remain silent if accused of something, meaning you don't have to answer questions that might make you look guilty. Sometimes silence just helps you think: many people need silent time to concentrate on homework or solve difficult problems.

The word also describes people who don't speak much. A normally chatty friend might go silent when feeling sad or upset. Someone might be the silent type, meaning they listen more than they talk.

A silent partner in business is someone who invests money but doesn't help run the company day-to-day. And when something happens silently, it happens so quietly you barely notice: a cat moves silently through the house at night, and years pass silently while you're busy growing up.