Wiktionary

sensitive

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle French sensitif, from Medieval Latin sensitivus.

Pronunciation

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  • (Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: sĕn'sĭtĭv, IPA(key): /ˈsɛnsɪtɪv/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Audio (General American):(file)
  • (pin–pen merger) IPA(key): /ˈsɪnsɪtɪv/
  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"
  • Hyphenation: sen‧sit‧ive

Adjective

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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: […] 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

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Antonyms

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Hyponyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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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

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Pronunciation

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Adjective

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sensitive

  1. feminine singular of sensitif

Noun

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sensitive f (plural sensitives)

  1. sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica)

Further reading

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Anagrams

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Italian

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Adjective

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sensitive f pl

  1. feminine plural of sensitivo

Anagrams

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Latin

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Adjective

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sēnsitīve

  1. vocative masculine singular of sēnsitīvus

Norwegian Bokmål

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Adjective

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sensitive

  1. definite singular of sensitiv
  2. plural of sensitiv

Norwegian Nynorsk

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Adjective

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sensitive

  1. definite singular of sensitiv
  2. plural of sensitiv
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