palpable

Etymology

From Middle French palpable and its source, Latin palpābilis, which is from palpō (“to touch softly”) + -bilis.

adj

1. Capable of being touched, felt or handled; touchable, tangible.
   I had felt that some palpable although invisible object had passed lightly by my person. 1838, Edgar Allan Poe, Ligeia
   The next morning the fog had given way to a palpable, horizontally driving rain. 1894, Bret Harte, “The Heir of the McHulishes”, in A Protegee of Jack Hamlin's and Other Stories
2. (figurative) Obvious or easily perceived; noticeable.
   Her voice, her palpable agitation, prepared us for something extraordinary. 1913, Sax Rohmer, chapter 24, in The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu
   No use in raging, in reasoning, in arguing. No use in setting forth the facts, the palpable right and wrong. 1916, Kathleen Norris, chapter 7, in The Heart of Rachael
   By Thursday, there was a palpable sense of frustration with the opposition’s strategy on the streets of Caracas, people in the capital said. 2019-05-02, Ana Vanessa Herrero, Rick Gladstone, “Maduro Speaks to Troops, Trying to Discredit Guaidó’s Call for Mutiny”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
   Elena Remigi, of the In Limbo Project, which is documenting the experiences of EU citizens in the UK, said: “The anxiety among EU citizens is palpable. My inbox is full of messages of people asking for reassurance or guidance.[…]” 2021-06-28, Lisa O'Carroll, Amelia Gentleman, quoting Elena Remigi, “‘The anxiety is palpable’: EU citizens face looming settled status deadline”, in The Guardian
3. (medicine) That can be detected by palpation.