contactless

adjective

con·​tact·​less ˈkän-ˌtakt-ləs 

: not involving contact: such as

a

: not requiring touching or interaction between people

contactless meal delivery

… many retailers and restaurants have rolled out home delivery along with contactless options, leaving food orders and grocery deliveries on door steps.

—Dawson White

b

: relating to or being a technological system (as for making payments) where information is transmitted over short distances (as by near field communication) without physical contact

… hold your phone in front of the contactless payment scanner to authorize the purchase.

—Robert Patrick

Contactless payment cards are not in wide circulation. Instead, consumers are increasingly making electronic payments with their cellular phones …

—Chad Bray and Reuben Kyama

Examples of contactless in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

BioCharger sessions are contactless and last anywhere from 10 to 60 minutes. — Rebecca Leib, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

How many stalls at your local market post contactless payment options this season versus last. — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2026

Cash in small bills makes life easier because many vendors are cash-only or add a fee for cards, though some now accept contactless payment apps. — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2026

Peter Gwaltney, president and CEO of the North Carolina Bankers Association, said contactless payments give consumers more flexibility, security and a smoother checkout. — Kimberly Tutuska, Charlotte Observer, 30 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for contactless

• abs
• acquiesce
• authoress
• bodiless
• coalesce
• decompress
• dispossess
• faithfulness
• letterpress
• mayoress
• murderess
• nonetheless