eye contact

noun

1. the act of looking directly into another's eyes:

   We never made eye contact at any time during the interview.

2. Psychology. a meeting of the eyes of two persons, regarded as a meaningful nonverbal form of communication.

eye contact

noun

1. a direct look between two people; meeting of eyes

   he maintained eye contact with his interrogator

Word History and Origins

Origin of eye contact¹

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Too quickly, too nervously, I thought—the opposite of the way Fleischer seemed to take his time over words, to maintain direct eye contact.

From Salon

Several parents who sought the therapy for their children told The Times they were intrigued by providers’ claims that a majority of autistic patients in one study had better speech and eye contact after treatment.

From Los Angeles Times

“We have to make choices like, ‘Do I make eye contact, or do I finish this note?’”

From Los Angeles Times

They’re so close that you can hear the muffled sounds of their ballet shoes on the carpet and can make eye contact, which feels both intimate and mildly discomfiting.

From Los Angeles Times

Graham recalled that roughly two years before she was diagnosed, a male therapist insisted she could not be autistic because she makes eye contact.

From Salon