Wiktionary

sensitive

English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From Middle French sensitif, from Medieval Latin sensitivus.

Pronunciation edit

  This entry needs an audio pronunciation. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record this word. The recorded pronunciation will appear here when it's ready.
Particularly: "pin-pen"

Adjective edit

sensitive (comparative more sensitive, superlative most sensitive)

  1. Having the faculty of sensation; pertaining to the senses.
    • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition III, section 1, member 2, subsection i:
      The sensitive faculty most part overrules reason, the soul is carried hoodwinked, and the understanding captive like a beast.
  2. Responsive to stimuli.
    • 1947 January and February, O. S. Nock, “"The Aberdonian" in Wartime”, in Railway Magazine, page 9:
      The engine seemed a little sensitive to wet rails, and in consequence the uphill work was not so good north of Dundee as it had been earlier. But I have noted this same "touchiness" on the part of the "A4s", and other modern British 4-6-2s, so that in this respect No. 2006 proved no exception.
  3. (of a person) Easily offended, upset, or hurt.
    Max is very sensitive; he cried today because of the bad news.
  4. (of an issue, topic, etc.) Capable of offending, upsetting, or hurting.
    Religion is often a sensitive topic of discussion and should be avoided when dealing with foreign business associates.
  5. Meant to be concealed or kept secret.
    These are highly sensitive documents.
    • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel:
      Xeltan: I cannot speak more about this problem; it is too sensitive. Suffice it to say, she has compromised my authority as a diplomat.
  6. Being aware of the feelings of others and taking care not to offend them.
    Thank you for being sensitive.
  7. Important, intricate, and requiring great delicacy.
    The president's untimely statement disrupted some very sensitive negotiations.
  8. (of an instrument) Accurate; able to register small changes in some property.
  9. (archaic) Having paranormal abilities that can be controlled through mesmerism.

Synonyms edit

The terms below need to be checked and allocated to the definitions (senses) of the headword above. Each term should appear in the sense for which it is appropriate. For synonyms and antonyms you may use the templates {{syn|en|...}} or {{ant|en|...}}.

Antonyms edit

The terms below need to be checked and allocated to the definitions (senses) of the headword above. Each term should appear in the sense for which it is appropriate. For synonyms and antonyms you may use the templates {{syn|en|...}} or {{ant|en|...}}.

Hyponyms edit

The terms below need to be checked and allocated to the definitions (senses) of the headword above. Each term should appear in the sense for which it is appropriate. For synonyms and antonyms you may use the templates {{syn|en|...}} or {{ant|en|...}}.

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Translations edit

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Noun edit

sensitive (plural sensitives)

  1. A person with a paranormal sensitivity to something that most cannot perceive.
    • 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 72:
      [I]t is quite certain that many of their fears were unfounded, and centred upon perfectly innocent people - especially those who were what we now call "mediumistic" or "sensitives".
    • 2003, Frederic W.H. Myers, Human Personality and Its Survival of Bodily Death Part 2:
      Swedenborg was one of the leading savants of Europe; it would be absurd to place any of our sensitives on the same intellectual level.

French edit

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

sensitive

  1. feminine singular of sensitif

Noun edit

sensitive f (plural sensitives)

  1. sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica)

Further reading edit

Anagrams edit

Italian edit

Adjective edit

sensitive f pl

  1. feminine plural of sensitivo

Anagrams edit

Latin edit

Adjective edit

sēnsitīve

  1. vocative masculine singular of sēnsitīvus

Norwegian Bokmål edit

Adjective edit

sensitive

  1. definite singular of sensitiv
  2. plural of sensitiv

Norwegian Nynorsk edit

Adjective edit

sensitive

  1. definite singular of sensitiv
  2. plural of sensitiv
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=sensitive&oldid=76779849"