haptic

adjective

hap·​tic ˈhap-tik How to pronounce haptic (audio)
1
: relating to or based on the sense of touch
2
: characterized by a predilection for the sense of touch
a haptic person

Did you know?

Haptic felt its way into English in the 19th century as a back-formation of haptics, a noun which was borrowed from the New Latin hapticē (meaning "science of touch," and derived ultimately from the Greek haptesthai, meaning "to touch") in the 1700s. Haptic was originally a medical synonym for tactile. By the 20th century, it had developed a psychological sense, describing individuals whose perception supposedly depended primarily on touch rather than sight. Although almost no one today divides humans into haptic and visual personalities, English retains the broadened psychological sense of haptic as well as the older "tactile" sense.

Examples of haptic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The keyboard and trackpad are great as usual: backlit keys, over 1mm of travel, large trackpad that can be tapped or clicked anywhere, with tremendous haptic feedback. Ben Sin, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025 The length and intensity of haptic notification feedback feel different on a Pixel 9 Pro XL post-update, but our Pixel 9 Pro feels the same after installing the Pixel Drop. Ryan Whitwam, Ars Technica, 7 Mar. 2025 The iPad Air supports the Apple Pencil Pro, which comes with a few more features, including a squeeze gesture that gives haptic feedback and the ability to locate the pencil using Apple's Find My service. PCMAG, 5 Mar. 2025 These join features already revealed in Android 16’s two developer betas including improvements to Android’s photo picker menu, richer haptic controls, and a Health Connect app for sharing medical information. Dominic Preston, The Verge, 23 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for haptic

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from haptics

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of haptic was in 1860

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Cite this Entry

“Haptic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haptic. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Medical Definition

haptic

adjective
hap·​tic ˈhap-tik How to pronounce haptic (audio)
variants also haptical
1
: relating to or based on the sense of touch
the haptic mode of perceptionColin Gordon
2
: characterized by a predilection for the sense of touch
a haptic person
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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