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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
Marc Saltzman, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
Ferrari’s adventures in haptic switchgear appears to be over, thank goodness.
—Jason Barlow, WIRED, 17 Oct. 2024
Alongside its headline-grabbing LED exterior, the interior is packed with high-tech audio and visual equipment, plus a haptic system and environmental effects that allow audiences to feel a breeze, a change in temperature, and even experience smells.
—Adam Williams, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2024
In the current automotive landscape of homogenous-looking models laden with driver assists and haptic displays, the Aston Martin Valour is an approximately $2 million oasis for motoring’s faithful.
—Angus MacKenzie, Robb Report, 11 Sep. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near haptic
Cite this Entry
“Haptic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haptic. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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