attouchement
|a-touch-e-ment|
🇺🇸
/əˈtuːʃmənt/
🇬🇧
/əˈtʊʃmənt/
a touching
Etymology
'attouchement' originates from French, specifically the word 'attouchement', where 'attoucher' meant 'to touch' (from a- + 'toucher').
'attouchement' changed from Old French forms such as 'atoucher'/'atouchier' (meaning 'to touch'), deriving ultimately from Vulgar Latin *toccare (to strike, touch), and was borrowed into English retaining much of its French form and meaning.
Initially it meant 'a touching' in a neutral sense, but over time in English legal and formal contexts it came to be used especially for 'indecent or unwanted sexual touching.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a touching; the act of touching (general, often formal or archaic).
The report described a casual attouchement during the crowded ceremony.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
in legal usage, indecent or unwanted sexual touching; indecent assault.
The defendant was accused of attouchement on multiple occasions while commuting.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/16 13:18