sensibility

sensibility
/sen'seuh bil"i tee/, n., pl. sensibilities.
1. capacity for sensation or feeling; responsiveness or susceptibility to sensory stimuli.
2. mental susceptibility or responsiveness; quickness and acuteness of apprehension or feeling.
3. keen consciousness or appreciation.
4. sensibilities, emotional capacities.
5. Sometimes, sensibilities. liability to feel hurt or offended; sensitive feelings.
6. Often, sensibilities. capacity for intellectual and aesthetic distinctions, feelings, tastes, etc.: a man of refined sensibilities.
7. the property, as in plants or instruments, of being readily affected by external influences.
[1325-75; ME sensibilite < MF < LL sensibilitas. See SENSIBLE, -ITY]
Syn. 1. SENSIBILITY, SUSCEPTIBILITY, SENSITIVENESS, SENSITIVITY refer to capacity to respond to or be affected by something. SENSIBILITY is, particularly, capacity to respond to aesthetic and emotional stimuli: the sensibility of the artist. SUSCEPTIBILITY is the state or quality of being impressionable and responsive, esp. to emotional stimuli; in the plural it has much the same meaning as SENSIBILITY: a person of keen susceptibilities.
SENSITIVENESS is the state or quality of being sensitive, of having a capacity of sensation and of responding to external stimuli: sensitiveness to light. SENSITIVITY is a special capability of being sensitive to physiological, chemical action or a tendency to be easily affected by the adverse reactions of others: the sensitivity of a nerve; sensitivity to criticism. 2. alertness, awareness.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Sensibility — refers to an acute perception of or responsiveness toward something, such as the emotions of another. This concept emerged in eighteenth century Britain, and was closely associated with studies of sense perception as the means through which… …   Wikipedia

  • Sensibility — Sen si*bil i*ty, n.; pl. {Sensibilities}. [Cf. F. sensibilit[ e], LL. sensibilitas.] 1. (Physiol.) The quality or state of being sensible, or capable of sensation; capacity to feel or perceive. [1913 Webster] 2. The capacity of emotion or feeling …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sensibility — I noun acuteness, affectibility, alertness, appreciation, attentiveness, awareness, comprehension, consciousness, delicacy, delicacy of feeling, discernment, discrimination, emotion, feeling, fineness, impressibility, judgment, keenness,… …   Law dictionary

  • sensibility — late 14c., “capability of being perceived by the senses,” from L. sensibilitas, from sensibilis (see SENSIBLE (Cf. sensible)). Rarely recorded until the emergence of the meaning “emotional consciousness, capacity for refined emotion”… …   Etymology dictionary

  • sensibility — feeling, sense, *sensation Analogous words: perception, *discernment, penetration, discrimination, insight: sensitiveness, susceptibility (see corresponding adjectives at LIABLE): emotion, *feeling, affection …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • sensibility — [n] responsiveness; ability to feel affection, appreciation, awareness, discernment, emotion, feeling, gut reaction*, heart*, insight, intuition, judgment, keenness, perceptiveness, rationale, sensation, sense, sensitiveness, sensitivity,… …   New thesaurus

  • sensibility — ► NOUN (pl. sensibilities) 1) the ability to appreciate and respond to complex emotional or aesthetic influences. 2) (sensibilities) the tendency to be easily offended of shocked …   English terms dictionary

  • sensibility — [sen΄sə bil′ə tē] n. pl. sensibilities [ME < MFr < LL sensibilitas < L sensibilis: see SENSIBLE] 1. the capacity for physical sensation; power of responding to stimuli; ability to feel 2. [often pl.] a) the capacity for being affected… …   English World dictionary

  • Sensibility — (Roget s Thesaurus) < N PARAG:Sensibility >N GRP: N 1 Sgm: N 1 sensibility sensibility sensibleness sensitiveness Sgm: N 1 moral sensibility moral sensibility Sgm: N 1 impressibility impressibility affectibility Sgm: N 1 susceptibleness… …   English dictionary for students

  • sensibility — [[t]se̱nsɪbɪ̱lɪti[/t]] sensibilities 1) N UNCOUNT: usu supp N Sensibility is the ability to experience deep feelings. Everything he writes demonstrates the depth of his sensibility. ...a man of sensibility. 2) N VAR: usu poss N Someone s… …   English dictionary

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