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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
Kyle Edward, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
The Apple Watch uses a combination of sensors, algorithms, and haptic feedback to detect and respond to your gestures.
—Kurt Knutsson, Fox News, 12 Nov. 2023
Haptic Feedback Experience haptic feedback via the DualSense wireless controller in select PS5® titles and feel the effects and impact of your in-game actions through dynamic sensory feedback.
—Rudie Obias, Variety, 10 Nov. 2023
In this trial, a lab member navigated through a neighborhood by scooter using haptic signals transmitted through their sleeves.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Sep. 2023
The subtle haptic rumble effects in the PS5’s DualSense controller, for instance, provide a convincing simulation of everything from crawling through mud to massive explosions.
—Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 17 Oct. 2023
The inside is home to a humongous internal 16K-resolution screen, with haptic, audio and temperature features meant to be targeted to each member of the audience during live performances.
—Rebecca Heilweil, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023
Such circuits can be integrated directly into wearable textiles, making the haptic solution less bulky and also more intuitive for the user.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Sep. 2023
Large avalanches have a distinctive signature, a cross between roaring wind and a sense of vibration that’s terrifyingly haptic.
—Dan Schilling, Outside Online, 17 Apr. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'haptic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Haptic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haptic. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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