sensibility

C2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˌsɛn(t)səˈbɪləti/ UK /ˌsɛn(t)sɪˈbɪlɪti/ See IPA manual

Freq #24952

Meanings

1

noun
refined sensitivity to pleasurable or painful impressions

Cruelty offended their sensibility.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

sensitivity sentience esthesis

Word family

Forms sensibilities

Derived forms chemosensibilityelectrosensibilityhypersensibilitynonsensibilityradiosensibilitysensibilitiessensibilitoussupersensibilityunsensibility

Related forms insensibility sense sensible sensibly

Etymology

From Late Middle English sensibilite (“physical ability to sense or perceive; sensitivity to pain; type of perception by a sense organ; perception, understanding; image imprinted on the mind during perception; (philosophy) capacity of the soul to receive information from the senses, perceptibility; (in the plural) the senses”), from Middle French sensibilité and Old French sensibilité (“characteristic or state of being capable of sensation”) (modern French sensibilité), and from their etymon Late Latin sēnsibilitās (“intelligence; perception, sensation; sensitiveness; meaning or sense of words...

sensibilite Middle English sensibilité Middle French sēnsibilitās la-lat sēnsibilis Latin *sent- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# sensibility

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌsɛn(t)səˈbɪləti/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌsɛn(t)sɪˈbɪlɪti/
**Frequency rank:** 24952

## Meanings
1. refined sensitivity to pleasurable or painful impressions

## Examples
- Cruelty offended their sensibility.

## Synonyms
- sensitivity
- sentience
- esthesis

## Derived Forms
- chemosensibility
- electrosensibility
- hypersensibility
- nonsensibility
- radiosensibility
- sensibilities
- sensibilitous
- supersensibility
- unsensibility

## Related Forms
- insensibility
- sense
- sensible
- sensibly

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: sensibilite
- Root: sensibilité
- Root: sēnsibilitās
- Root: sēnsibilis
- Root: *sent-

## Etymology
From Late Middle English sensibilite (“physical ability to sense or perceive; sensitivity to pain; type of perception by a sense organ; perception, understanding; image imprinted on the mind during perception; (philosophy) capacity of the soul to receive information from the senses, perceptibility; (in the plural) the senses”), from Middle French sensibilité and Old French sensibilité (“characteristic or state of being capable of sensation”) (modern French sensibilité), and from their etymon Late Latin sēnsibilitās (“intelligence; perception, sensation; sensitiveness; meaning or sense of words...

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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