Contents
- 1 English
- 1.1 Etymology
- 1.2 Pronunciation
- 1.3 Adjective
- 1.3.1 Usage notes
- 1.3.2 Related terms
- 1.3.3 Translations
- 1.4 Noun
- 1.5 Further reading
- 2 Catalan
- 2.1 Etymology
- 2.2 Pronunciation
- 2.3 Adjective
- 2.3.1 Derived terms
- 2.3.2 Related terms
- 2.4 References
- 2.5 Further reading
- 3 French
- 3.1 Pronunciation
- 3.2 Etymology 1
- 3.2.1 Adjective
- 3.2.1.1 Derived terms
- 3.2.1.2 Related terms
- 3.2.1 Adjective
- 3.3 Etymology 2
- 3.3.1 Noun
- 3.4 Further reading
- 4 German
- 4.1 Pronunciation
- 4.2 Adjective
- 5 Spanish
- 5.1 Etymology
- 5.2 Pronunciation
- 5.3 Adjective
- 5.3.1 Usage notes
- 5.3.2 Antonyms
- 5.3.3 Related terms
- 5.4 Further reading
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Latin sēnsibilis (“perceptible by the senses, having feeling, sensible”), from sentiō (“to feel, perceive”).
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈsɛns.ɪ.bəl/, [ˈsɛn̥sɪbl̩]
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈsɛns.ə.bəl/, [ˈsɛn̥səbɫ̩]
Audio (US) (file)
Adjective[edit]
sensible (comparative more sensible, superlative most sensible or sensiblest)
- Acting with or showing good sense; able to make good judgements based on reason, or reflecting such ability.
2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 230b:
They ask questions of someone who thinks he's got something sensible to say on some matter when actually he hasn't.
- Synonym: reasonable
- Coordinate terms: prudent, wise, appropriate
- Characterized more by usefulness, practicality, or comfort than by attractiveness, formality, or fashionableness, especially of clothing.
I only wear high heels on formal occasions; otherwise, I prefer sensible shoes.
1985, "Weird Al" Yankovic (lyrics and music), “Dare to Be Stupid”, in Dare to Be Stupid, performed by "Weird Al" Yankovic:
Settle down, raise a family, join the PTA
Buy some sensible shoes and a Chevrolet
- 1999, Neil Gaiman, Stardust (2001 Perennial Edition), page 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.
- (especially formally) Able to be sensed by the senses or the psyche; able to be perceived.
1751, John Arbuthnot, An Essay Concerning the Effects of Air on Human Bodies, page 1:
Air is sensible to the Touch by its Motion, and by its Resistance to Bodies moved in it.
1778, William Lewis, The New Dispensatory, page 91:
The sensible qualities of argentina promise no great virtue of this kind; for to the taste it discovers only a slight roughishness, from whence it may be presumed to be entitled to a place only among the milder corroborants.
1902, William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience […] [1], London: Folio Society, published 2008, page 45:
It has been vouchsafed, for example, to very few Christian believers to have had a sensible vision of their Saviour.
1690, William Temple, “Of Heroick Virtue”, in Miscellanea. The Second Part. [...], 2nd edition, London: […] J. R. for Ri[chard] and Ra[lph] Simpson,[…], →OCLC, section III, page 207:
[T]he diſgrace was more ſensible than the pain.
1776 March 9, Adam Smith, chapter 11, in An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.[…], volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell,[…], →OCLC, book I (Of the Causes of Improvement in the Productive Powers of Labour,[…]), page 241:
The discovery of the mines of America […] does not seem to have had any very sensible effect upon the prices of things in England.
- Synonyms: perceptible, appreciable, detectable
- Antonyms: insensible, imperceptible, unappreciable, undetectable
- (archaic) Able to feel or perceive.
c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:
Would your cambric were sensible as your finger.
- (archaic) Liable to external impression; easily affected; sensitive.
- a sensible thermometer
c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene viii]:
with affection wondrous sensible
- (archaic) Of or pertaining to the senses; sensory.
- (archaic) Cognizant; having the perception of something; aware of something.
1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], chapter I, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding.[…], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset,[…], →OCLC:
He cannot think at any time, waking or sleeping, without being sensible of it.
1723, Cotton Mather, “Agathangelus; or, The Servant of God with His Guardian”, in Cœlestinus. A Conversation in Heaven, Quickened and Assisted, with Discoveries of Things in the Heavenly World.[…], Boston, Mass.: […] S[amuel] Kneeland, for Nath[aniel] Belknap,[…], →OCLC, page 2:
A bright Meſſenger from Heaven, made the Man of GOD ſenſible, That a Remarkable Safety ſhould be granted unto him, and therefore unto all the Company vvith Him.
1749, [John Cleland], “[Letter the First]”, in Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [Fanny Hill], volume I, London: […] G. Fenton [i.e., Fenton and Ralph Griffiths][…], →OCLC, pages 213–214:
Diſingaging myſelf then from his embrace, I made him ſenſible of the reaſons there vvere for his preſent leaving me; on vvhich, tho' reluctantly, he put on his cloaths vvith as little expedition, hovvever, as he could help, vvantonly interrupting himſelf betvveen vvhiles, vvith kiſſes, touches, and embraces, I could not refuſe myſelf to; […]
1810, Thomas Green, Extracts from the diary of a lover of literature:
we are now sensible that it would have been absurd
Usage notes[edit]
- "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.
- It is not comparable to its cognates in certain languages (see below at Translations section).
- "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[edit]
Translations[edit]
perceptible by the mind
- Afrikaans: waarneembaar
- Bulgarian: осезаем(bg) (osezaem)
- Catalan: perceptible
- Dutch: waarneembaar(nl), merkbaar(nl)
- German: wahrnehmbar(de)
- Irish: inchéadfaithe
- Italian: percepibile(it)
- Lithuanian: suvokiamas protum
- Romanian: perceptibil(ro)m or n, observabil(ro)m or n, sesizabil(ro)m or n
- Russian: ощути́мый(ru) (oščutímyj)
easily perceived, appreciable
- Bulgarian: забележим(bg) (zabeležim)
- Catalan: apreciable
- Dutch: merkbaar(nl), aanzienlijk(nl), aanwijsbaar(nl)
- Finnish: ymmärrettävä(fi)
- German: spürbar(de)
- Irish: inchéadfaithe
- Italian: apprezzabile(it)
- Lithuanian: lengvai suvokiamasmpl
- Romanian: considerabil(ro), apreciabil(ro), mare(ro)
- Russian: ощути́мый(ru) (oščutímyj)
- Turkish: hissedilir, gözle görülür (idiomatic), dişe dokunur (idiomatic)
able to feel or perceive
- Bulgarian: чувствителен(bg) (čuvstvitelen)
- Catalan: sensible(ca)
- Dutch: gevoelig(nl)
- French: sensible(fr)
- German: der Empfindung fähig (literary)
- Irish: céadfach, céadfaíoch
- Italian: sensibile(it)
- Kurdish:
- Central Kurdish: عاقڵ ('aqill)
- Lithuanian: pajėgus pajusti ar suvoktipl
- Romanian: simțitor(ro), sensibil(ro)
- Russian: восприи́мчивый(ru) (vospriímčivyj), чувстви́тельный(ru) (čuvstvítelʹnyj)
- Turkish: duygun(tr)
aware of something
- Catalan: conscient(ca), sabedor, coneixedor
- Dutch: (zich) bewust
- Finnish: tietoinen(fi)
- German: gewahr(de) (archaic, elevated)
- Italian: razionale(it)
- Romanian: rațional(ro)m or n, conștient(ro)m or n, inteligent(ro)m or n
- Russian: сознаю́щий(ru) (soznajúščij), зна́ющий(ru) (znájuščij)
- Turkish: ayırdında (olmak), farkında(tr) (olmak)
acting with or showing good judgement
- Bulgarian: благоразумен(bg) (blagorazumen)
- Catalan: sensat(ca), assenyat(ca)
- Czech: rozumny
- Danish: fornuftig(da)
- Dutch: verstandig(nl), zinnig(nl)
- Finnish: järkevä(fi), järjellinen(fi)
- French: sensé(fr), raisonnable(fr)
- Georgian: აზრიანი (azriani)
- German: vernünftig(de)
- Gothic: 𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌸𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 (andaþahts)
- Greek:
- Ancient: φρόνιμος (phrónimos)
- Hungarian: észszerű(hu), értelmes(hu)
- Icelandic: skynsamlegur(is)
- Irish: réasúnta, ciallmhar
- Italian: giudizioso(it), di buon senso, ragionevole(it), sensato(it)
- Norwegian:
- Polish: sensowny(pl), rozsądny(pl)
- Portuguese: sensato(pt)
- Romanian: rezonabil(ro)m or n, rațional(ro)m or n, sensibil(ro), simțit(ro)
- Russian: разу́мный(ru) (razúmnyj), здравомы́слящий(ru) (zdravomýsljaščij), рациона́льный(ru) (racionálʹnyj), благоразу́мный(ru) (blagorazúmnyj), здра́вый(ru) (zdrávyj)
- Sanskrit: कवि(sa) (kavi)
- Scottish Gaelic: toinnte, glic
- Spanish: razonable(es), sensato(es), sesudo
- Swedish: förnuftig(sv)
- Turkish: makul(tr), akla yatkın(tr), akıllı(tr), akıllıca(tr)
characterized more by usefulness than by fashionableness
- Catalan: pràctic(ca)
- Dutch: praktisch(nl), functioneel(nl)
- Finnish: käytännöllinen(fi)
- French: pratique(fr)
- German: vernünftig(de), sinnvoll(de), gescheit(de) (coll.)
- Italian: pratico(it), logico(it)
- Latin: practicus
- Portuguese: prático(pt)
- Romanian: practic(ro)m or n, logic(ro)m or n, chibzuit(ro)m or n
- Russian: практи́чный(ru) (praktíčnyj), целесообра́зный(ru) (celesoobráznyj)
- Spanish: práctico(es)
- Turkish: kullanışlı(tr), işlevsel(tr), işe yarar(tr)
Noun[edit]
sensible (plural sensibles)
- (obsolete) Sensation; sensibility.
1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost.[…], London: […] [Samuel Simmons],[…], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books:[…], London: Basil Montagu Pickering[…], 1873, →OCLC:
Our temper changed […] which must needs remove the sensible of pain.
- (obsolete) That which impresses itself on the senses; anything perceptible.
- 1857, William Fleming, Vocabulary of Philosophy
- Aristotle distinguished sensibles into common and proper.
- 2018, Richard F. Hassing, Final Causality in Nature and Human Affairs (page 4)
- Accordingly, with respect to their knowability or opinability, Socrates makes no distinction among the sensibles between natural things and artifacts (510a5–6); both are relegated to the realm of opinion. Hence, there is no Socratic-Platonic biology.
- 1857, William Fleming, Vocabulary of Philosophy
- (obsolete) That which has sensibility; a sensitive being.
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:
This melancholy extends itself not to men only, but even to vegetals and sensibles.
Further reading[edit]
- “sensible”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “sensible”, in The Century Dictionary[…], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “sensible”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Catalan[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Latin sēnsibilis. First attested in the 14th century.[1]
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
sensiblem or f (masculine and feminine plural sensibles)
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ “sensible”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
Further reading[edit]
- “sensible” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “sensible” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “sensible” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
French[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Borrowed from Latin sēnsibilis.
Adjective[edit]
sensible (plural sensibles)
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Etymology 2[edit]
Noun[edit]
sensiblef (plural sensibles)
Further reading[edit]
- “sensible”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
German[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Audio (file)
Adjective[edit]
sensible
- inflection of sensibel:
Spanish[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Borrowed from Latin sēnsibilis.
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
sensiblem or f (masculine and feminine plural sensibles)
Usage notes[edit]
- Sensible is a false friend, and does not mean reasonable in Spanish. The Spanish word for that English meaning of sensible is sensato.
Antonyms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- “sensible”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
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