Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
sensitize
sensitometer
sensor
sensoria
sensorial
sensorimotor
sensorimotor stage
sensorineural
sensorium
sensory
sensory adaptation
sensory deprivation
sensory integration dysfunction
sensory register
sensory threshold
sensual
sensualism
Click to move down the list of words
Also available:

World English Dictionary
Dictionnaire Français

sensible

sen·si·ble [ sénssəb'l ]


adjective 
Definition:
 
1. showing good sense: having or demonstrating sound reason and judgment
a sensible decision
She's not very sensible.

2. practical: practical, usually comfortable and hard-wearing, and not worn as an adornment
a pair of sensible shoes

3. subject to perception: able to be perceived through the senses
sensible objects in the world around us

4. conscious: awake or conscious, and having the capacity to understand

5. aware of something: very aware of something, emotionally or intellectually ( formal )
not sensible of the tragic mistake he'd made

[14th century. Via French< Latin sensibilis "perceptible by the senses, able to perceive" < sens- (see sense)]

sen·si·ble·ness noun
sen·si·bly adverb

Word Usage
sensible or sensitive?

The two words overlap in meaning to some extent in the sense illustrated by the sentence I am sensible of your difficult situation ("I can appreciate your difficult situation"). In this meaning, sensible is normally used to express emotional or intellectual awareness. In a comparable use, sensitive is followed by to and denotes a tactful and sympathetic feeling about or for something: He was always sensitive to their needs.


Word Key: Synonyms

See aware.

Advertisement

© 2009 Microsoft