stillschweigender

Stillschweigender, a German term, refers to a person who refrains from speaking about a matter. The word combines stills- (silent) with Schweigen (silence) and uses the agent suffix -er to denote a person who performs the action. The form is primarily used in descriptive or analytical writing rather than as a formal legal designation.

In usage, a stillschweigender is someone who keeps information to themselves, either by obligation or by personal choice. The concept is common in journalistic, literary, and sociological contexts, where it can describe a participant who remains silent to protect confidentiality, to avoid revealing sensitive details, or to convey tacit consent or restraint. It is not a standardized legal term, and the exact implications depend on context.

In legal or professional settings, more precise terms are typically used. For example, references to confidentiality obligations, professional secrecy (Schweigepflicht), or statutory privilege provide explicit legal grounding. A stillschweigender may sometimes be described as a silent witness in a literary or rhetorical sense, but this is a figurative usage rather than a formal designation.

Examples: The stillschweigender member of the committee did not voice an opinion, citing the need to preserve confidentiality. In investigative reporting, the term can describe someone who chooses not to disclose information publicly.

See also: Schweigepflicht, Verschwiegenheit, Stillschweigen, Zeugnisverweigerungsrecht, NDA.