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

Florida’s attempt to crack down on cashless businesses During the pandemic, many businesses turned to contactless payment — meaning electronic payment through a device. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 28 July 2026

The agreement is designed to scale contactless payment technology across participating club arenas while creating interactive digital fan experiences at the highest level of European club basketball. — Agung Dwi Sandi, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

During the pandemic, contactless delivery became even more appealing. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026

No contactless apps meant talking to someone behind the counter to order your food. — Michelle Sobel, Fortune, 23 June 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