Meaning & use
non-contact
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivebefore a nounsport
Describing a sport or activity in which players do not physically hit or tackle one another.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: a non-contact sport; you would not say the sport is non-contact in careful writing.
Patterns
- a non-contact sport
- non-contact training
Our rugby club runs a non-contact version of the game for beginners.
Swimming is a non-contact sport, so injuries from collisions are rare.
The coach kept the session non-contact because several players were hurt.
adjectivebefore a noun
Working or taking place without the device or person touching the thing being measured or treated.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: a non-contact thermometer.
Patterns
- a non-contact thermometer
- non-contact payment
A non-contact thermometer measured her temperature at the door.
You can pay by non-contact card for anything under the limit.
Non-contact sensors read the speed of the belt.
Common combinations
- non-contact sport
- Badminton is a non-contact sport that suits all ages.
- non-contact thermometer
- The clinic bought a non-contact thermometer for the waiting room.
- non-contact training
- Non-contact training lets the team practice moves without risking injuries.
- non-contact injury
- The striker suffered a non-contact injury while running.
- non-contact payment
- Non-contact payment is quick but limited to small purchases.
Synonyms and how they differ
- contactless
- Contactless is the usual word for payment cards and technology, and it is used less often than non-contact for sports.
- touch-free
- Touch-free is informal and suits things like taps and dispensers, but rarely sports.
- remote
- Remote suggests operating from a distance, but does not mean physical contact is absent in the same way.
Opposites
Word family
- contact noun
- the state of touching or being in communication
- contact verb
- to get in touch with someone
- contactless adjective
- working without physical touch
- full-contact adjective
- allowing hard physical hits
Commonly confused: non-contact or contactless?
non-contact vs contactless
Contactless mainly describes cards and technology you wave near a reader, while non-contact is wider and includes sports.
Practice
Which of these is most likely to be called a non-contact sport?
Choose one answer.
In tennis the players are on opposite sides of a net and do not tackle each other. Boxing, hockey and wrestling all involve physical contact.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “non-contact”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.