capacitive

[ kuh-pas-i-tiv ]

adjective

, Electricity.

1. pertaining to electrical capacitance, or the property of being able to collect and hold a charge of electricity.
2. exhibiting or relying on electrical capacitance: Compare resistive ( def 2 ).

   smartphones with capacitive touchscreens that react to electrical impulses generated by your finger.

Other Words From

• ca·paci·tive·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of capacitive¹

First recorded in 1915–20; capacit(y) + -ive

Example Sentences

The sample head measures the thermal Hall effect using capacitive thermometry.

From Science Daily

Look into just about any new car and you’ll find a touchscreen and maybe even a bank of capacitive touch buttons that seek to approximate the function of mechanical buttons.

From Seattle Times

It’s got built-in battery contacts, a USB port for programming instead of the old serial debugging pins, and capacitive touch hardware baked into the board itself.

From The Verge

The steering wheel buttons look like capacitive touch buttons but are thankfully physical switches.

From The Verge

Fitbit introduced the capacitive button as a way to create a slimmer profile and prevent accidental presses, but in reality, it made for a finicky user experience.

From The Verge