sensational

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /sɛnˈseɪʃənəl/ UK /sɛnˈseɪʃənəl/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
causing great excitement or shock; remarkably good

The trial received sensational coverage in every newspaper.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · causing great excitement or... spectacular stunning thrilling marvelous startling lurid dramatic

Opposites

ordinary unremarkable dull mundane

Word family

Derived forms sensationallysensationalismsensationalize

Related forms sensation sense sensationalism

Etymology

From 'sensation' + '-al'; 'sensation' is from Medieval Latin 'sensatio(n-)', from Latin 'sensus' ('feeling'), from 'sentire' ('to feel').

sensatio Latin sentire Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# sensational

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** sɛnˈseɪʃənəl
**IPA (UK):** sɛnˈseɪʃənəl

## Meanings
1. causing great excitement or shock; remarkably good

## Examples
- The trial received sensational coverage in every newspaper.

## Synonyms
- spectacular
- stunning
- thrilling
- marvelous
- startling
- lurid
- dramatic

## Antonyms
- ordinary
- unremarkable
- dull
- mundane

## Derived Forms
- sensationally
- sensationalism
- sensationalize

## Related Forms
- sensation
- sense
- sensationalism

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: sensatio
- Root: sentire

## Etymology
From 'sensation' + '-al'; 'sensation' is from Medieval Latin 'sensatio(n-)', from Latin 'sensus' ('feeling'), from 'sentire' ('to feel').

## AI Etymology
Sensational comes from 'sensation' + '-al'; 'sensation' is from Medieval Latin 'sensatio(n-)', from Latin 'sensus' ('feeling'), from 'sentire' ('to feel'). The historical chain includes Latin sensatio and Latin sentire. Older glosses in the chain include "sensation", "-al", "sensatio(n-)", and "sensus", which help explain the semantic range of the modern word. Morphologically, sensational is best read as compound and borrowing, yielding an English adjective shaped by both form history and later usage. In current English it functions as an adjective, with the sense "causing great excitement or shock; remarkably good". English derivatives include sensationally, sensationalism, and sensationalize; related forms include sensation, sense, and sensationalism. The result is an English adjective whose etymology preserves the older forms while supporting the word's specialized modern meaning.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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