Elhallgatása

Elhallgatása is a Hungarian noun meaning the act or state of refraining from speaking about something, i.e., keeping silent or withholding information. It derives from the verb hallgat (to be silent, to listen) with the prefix el- indicating cessation or concealment, and the nominalizing suffix -ás, together with the possessive suffix -a/-e to indicate “his/her/its.” The base form without possessive is elhallgatás. The term can refer to literal silence or to the figurative withholding of information, depending on context.

In usage, elhallgatása is common in public or political discourse to describe deliberate or perceived concealment of facts. It is often paired with qualifiers such as szándékos (deliberate) or hivatkozás nélküli (without justification) to specify intent or nature of the silence. The phrase appears in journalism, commentary, and legal or ethical discussions when transparency or accountability is at issue.

Where appropriate, the term can also denote the silence of a person in a conversation or a textual description of someone choosing not to reveal information. In neutral descriptions, it may function simply as a linguistic observation about silence rather than a moral judgment; in critical contexts, it conveys a negative evaluation of information handling.

See also: hallgatás, elhallgatás.