sensible
English
Etymology
From Latin sensibilis (“perceptible by the senses, having feeling, sensible”), from sentire (“to feel, perceive”), past participle sensus.
Pronunciation
Adjective
sensible (comparative more sensible, superlative most sensible)
- (now dated or formal) Perceptible by the senses.
- 1902, William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, Folio Society 2008, p. 45:
- It has been vouchsafed, for example, to very few Christian believers to have had a sensible vision of their Saviour.
- 1902, William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, Folio Society 2008, p. 45:
- Easily perceived; appreciable.
- Able to feel or perceive.
- Of or pertaining to the senses; sensory.
- Cognizant; having the perception of something; aware of something.
- Acting with or showing good sense; able to make good judgements based on reason.
- Characterized more by usefulness or practicality than by fashionableness, especially of clothing.
- 1999, Neil Gaiman, Stardust (2001 Perennial Edition), p. 8,
- They would walk, on fair evenings, around the village, and discuss the theory of crop rotation, and the weather, and other such sensible matters.
- 1999, Neil Gaiman, Stardust (2001 Perennial Edition), p. 8,
Usage notes
- "Sensible" describes the reasonable way in which a person may think about things or do things:
- It wouldn't be sensible to start all over again now.
- "Sensitive" describes an emotional way in which a person may react to things:
- He has always been a sensitive child.
- I didn’t realize she was so sensitive about her work.
Related terms
Translations
perceptible by the mind
|
easily perceived, appreciable
|
able to feel or perceive
aware of something
acting with or showing good judgement
characterized more by usefulness than by fashionableness
Noun
sensible (plural sensibles)
- (obsolete) sensation; sensibility.
- Milton
- Our temper changed […] which must needs remove the sensible of pain.
- Milton
- (obsolete) That which impresses itself on the senses; anything perceptible.
- Krauth-Fleming
- Aristotle distinguished sensibles into common and proper.
- Krauth-Fleming
- (obsolete) That which has sensibility; a sensitive being.
- Burton
- This melancholy extends itself not to men only, but even to vegetals and sensibles.
- Burton
External links
- sensible in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- sensible in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- sensible at OneLook Dictionary Search
French
Etymology
From Latin sensibilis.
Pronunciation
-
Audio (file)
Adjective
sensible (masculine and feminine, plural sensibles)
Related terms
Spanish
Adjective
sensible m and f (plural sensibles)
Antonyms
Usage notes
- Sensible is a false friend, and does not mean reasonable in Spanish. Spanish equivalents are shown above,in the "Translations" section of the English entry sensible.