tactile

[tak-til, -tahyl]

adjective

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

2. perceptible to the touch; tangible.

tactile

/ 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

1. Used for or sensitive to touch.

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of tactile¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of tactile¹

C17: from Latin tactilis, from tangere to touch

Example Sentences

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

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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.

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

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

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

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Related Words

• palpable