Phrase guide

moment of silence

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A period of silence for quiet meditation, prayer or reflection.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The pastor always opened his Sunday service with a moment of silence.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person, as part of the mourning process. May also be conducted following a tragic event or on the anniversary thereof.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The principal requested a moment of silence in memory of the two girls who died in a car accident over the weekend.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 靜默時間 /静默时间 (jìngmò shíjiān) — period of silence for quiet meditation, prayer or reflection
  • Finnish: hiljainen hetki — period of silence for quiet meditation, prayer or reflection
  • German: Moment der Stille — period of silence for quiet meditation, prayer or reflection
  • Indonesian: pengheningan — period of silence for quiet meditation, prayer or reflection
  • Indonesian: mengheningkan cipta — period of silence for quiet meditation, prayer or reflection
  • Korean: 묵념 (mungnyeom) — period of silence for quiet meditation, prayer or reflection
  • Romanian: moment de reculegere — period of silence for quiet meditation, prayer or reflection
  • Romanian: moment de liniște — period of silence for quiet meditation, prayer or reflection
  • Spanish: momento de silencio — period of silence for quiet meditation, prayer or reflection
  • Armenian: լռության րոպե (lṙutʻyan rope) — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Basque: minutuko isilune — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Chinese Mandarin: 默哀 (mò'āi) — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Czech: minuta ticha — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Esperanto: minuto da silento — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Estonian: vaikusminut — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Finnish: hiljainen hetki — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • French: minute de silence — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Georgian: წუთიერი დუმილი (c̣utieri dumili) — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • German: Schweigeminute — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • German: Gedenkminute — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Greek: ενός λεπτού σιγή (enós leptoú sigí) — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Indonesian: pengheningan cipta — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Japanese: 黙祷 (mokutō) — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Korean: 묵도 (mukdo) — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Korean: 묵념 (mungnyeom) — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Polish: minuta ciszy — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Portuguese: minuto de silêncio — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Romanian: moment de reculegere — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Russian: мину́та молча́ния (minúta molčánija) — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Spanish: momento de silencio — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Spanish: minuto de silencio — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Swedish: tyst minut — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Turkish: saygı duruşu — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Ukrainian: хвилина мовчання (xvylyna movčannja) — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person
  • Vietnamese: một phút mặc niệm — period of silence conducted to honor or provide a gesture of respect to a recently deceased person