Standard Lemma guide

tactile

adj · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈtæktaɪl/
  • /ˈtæktəl/
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æktəl
  • CMU ARPABET: T AE1 K T IH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: T AE1 K T AY2 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Tangible; perceptible to the sense of touch.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • tactile method of reading

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Used for feeling.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Of or relating to the sense of touch.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • tactile illusion

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Prone to touching people or things.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

of or relating to or proceeding from the sense of touch

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • haptic data
  • a tactile reflex

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: haptic, tactual

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

producing a sensation of touch

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • tactile qualities
  • the tactual luxury of stroking silky human hair

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tactual

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French tactile, from Latin tactilis (“that may be touched, tangible”), from tangere (“to touch”).

Across languages

Translations

39 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: осезателен (osezatelen) — tangible
  • Catalan: tàctil — tangible
  • Danish: taktil — tangible
  • Danish: følbar — tangible
  • French: tactile — tangible
  • Galician: táctil — tangible
  • German: fühlbar — tangible
  • Greek: απτός (aptós) — tangible
  • Greek: ψηλαφητός (psilafitós) — tangible
  • Manx: bentynagh — tangible
  • Portuguese: tátil — tangible
  • Serbo-Croatian: опипљив (opipljiv) — tangible
  • Serbo-Croatian: тактилан (taktilan) — tangible
  • Spanish: táctil — tangible
  • Turkish: elle tutulur — tangible
  • Bulgarian: осезателен (osezatelen) — used for feeling
  • Catalan: tàctil — used for feeling
  • German: taktil — used for feeling
  • Greek: αισθητός (aisthitós) — used for feeling
  • Turkish: dokunulur — used for feeling
  • Asturian: táctil — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • Bulgarian: тактилен (taktilen) — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • Catalan: tàctil — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • Danish: taktil — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • Galician: táctil — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • German: fühlbar — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • German: taktil — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • Greek: απτός (aptós) — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • Indonesian: taktil — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • Norwegian Bokmål: taktil — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: taktil — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • Occitan: tactil — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • Polish: dotykowy — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • Spanish: táctil — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • Turkish: dokunsal — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • Turkish: dokunmayla ilgili — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • Turkish: taktil — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • Turkish: dokunma duyusuna ilişkin — of, or relating to the sense of touch
  • Turkish: dokunma duyusuyla algılanabilen — of, or relating to the sense of touch
Real reading context

tactile in complete knowledge articles