Q: I wonder if you’d comment on the misuse of “reticent” when the speaker means “reluctant.” Don’t you think we should preserve the distinction between these two words?
A: We share your concern about “reluctant” and “reticent” and think it’s important to preserve the distinction. In fact, Pat added them to later editions of her grammar book Woe Is I. We hate to see two such valuable words ride off into the sunset!
“Reluctant” means unwilling while “reticent” means silent.
“Reluctant” comes from a Latin word that means to struggle. “Reticent” comes from a Latin word meaning to keep silent; the same Latin word gives us “taciturn” (uncommunicative) and “tacit” (unspoken).