tactile

American  

[tak-til, -tahyl] / ˈtæk tɪl, -taɪl /

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, endowed with, or affecting the sense of touch.

2. perceptible to the touch; tangible.

---

tactile British  

/ ˈtæktaɪl, tækˈtɪlɪtɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, affecting, or having a sense of touch

   a tactile organ

   tactile stimuli

2. rare  capable of being touched; tangible

---

tactile Scientific  

/ tăk′təl,tăk′tīl′ /

1. Used for or sensitive to touch.

---

Other Word Forms

• nontactile adjective
• nontactility noun
• tactility noun
• untactile adjective

Etymology

Origin of tactile

1605–15; < Latin tāctilis tangible, equivalent to tāct ( us ) (past participle of tangere to touch) + -ilis -ile

Example Sentences

Cinnamon sugar on top adds crunch, a tactile punctuation mark that makes every bite feel deliberate.

From Salon

Layer in a few tactile moments: handwritten menus or place cards if that’s your vibe, or simply a stack of good blankets and genuinely comfortable pillows for that glorious post-meal sprawl on the couch.

From Salon

Hudson agrees, adding with a giggle, “I told Hugh, ‘I’m really tactile.

From Los Angeles Times

This joyful, sensory, tactile experience can never be replicated virtually and each moment sticks with you for life.

From Los Angeles Times

You only have instincts about data because you’ve gotten tactile and granular about building models.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• palpable