Legal Definitions - acceptance by silence

Acceptance by silence is when an offer is accepted without explicitly saying "yes." This can happen when the relationship between the offeror and offeree justifies the offeror's expectation of a reply and the offeror's reasonable conclusion that the lack of one signals acceptance.

For example, if a company sends a contract to a vendor and the vendor does not respond but begins to perform the services outlined in the contract, this can be considered acceptance by silence.

It's important to note that silence does not usually give rise to acceptance of an offer. However, in certain circumstances, it can be interpreted as such.