sensitive

Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle French sensitif, from Medieval Latin sensitivus.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (US, UK) enPR: sĕn'sĭtĭv, IPA(key): /ˈsɛnsɪtɪv/
  • Audio (US)
    		(file)

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 54573970, 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.
  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.
  6. Important, intricate, and requiring great delicacy.
    The president's untimely statement disrupted some very sensitive negotiations.
  7. (of an instrument) Accurate; able to register small changes in some property.
  8. (archaic) Having paranormal abilities that can be controlled through mesmerism.

Synonyms[edit]

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Antonyms[edit]

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Hyponyms[edit]

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Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

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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

  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
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