sensible
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈsɛn.sɪ.bəl/
ipa: [ˈsɛnsɪbɫ̩]
ipa: /ˈsɛn.sə.bəl/
ipa: [ˈsɛnsəbɫ̩]
ipa: /ˈsen.sɪ.bəl/
ipa: [ˈsensɪbɫ̩]
Forms: form: more sensible
form: most sensible
form: sensiblest
Etymology: From Latin sēnsibilis (“perceptible by the senses, having feeling, sensible”), from sentiō (“to feel, perceive”).
Senses: examples: text: They ask questions of someone who thinks he's got something sensible to say on some matter when actually he hasn't.
ref: 2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 230b:
synonyms: reasonable
coordinate_terms: prudent
wise
appropriate
glosses: Acting with or showing good sense; able to make good judgements based on reason or wisdom, or reflecting such ability.
examples: text: I only wear high heels on formal occasions; otherwise, I prefer sensible shoes.
text: “Delightful vision! A comfortable armchair, situated in three different draughts, at every ballroom; and nice, large, sensible shoes for all the couples to stumble over as they go into the veranda!”
ref: 1889, Rudyard Kipling, “The Education of Otis Yeere”, in Under the Deodars, Boston: The Greenock Press, published 1899, page 19:
text: She was a pleasant-looking woman of about forty, with a deep voice, almost manly in its stentorian tones, and had a large sensible square body, with feet to match—these last encased in good thick boots.
ref: 1920, Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, London: Pan Books, published 1954, page 8:
text: Settle down, raise a family, join the PTA
Buy some sensible shoes and a Chevrolet
ref: 1985, "Weird Al" Yankovic, “Dare to Be Stupid”, in Dare to Be Stupid, performed by "Weird Al" Yankovic:
text: 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.
glosses: Characterized more by usefulness, practicality, or comfort than by attractiveness, formality, or fashionableness, especially of clothing.
examples: text: For Plato the belief in sensible objects is fallible.
text: Air is sensible to the Touch by its Motion, and by its Resistance to Bodies moved in it.
ref: 1751, John Arbuthnot, An Essay Concerning the Effects of Air on Human Bodies, page 1:
text: 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.
ref: 1778, William Lewis, The New Dispensatory, page 91:
text: It has been vouchsafed, for example, to very few Christian believers to have had a sensible vision of their Saviour.
ref: 1902, William James, “Lecture III: The Reality of the Unseen”, in The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature […] , New York, N.Y.; London: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 54:
text: [T]he diſgrace was more ſensible than the pain.
ref: 1690, William Temple, Miscellanea. The Second Part. […], London: […] T. M. for Ri[chard] and Ra[lph] Simpson, […], →OCLC, section III, page 207:
text: The discovery of the mines of America […] does not seem to have had any very sensible effect upon the prices of things in England.
ref: 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:
synonyms: perceptible
appreciable
detectable
antonyms: insensible
imperceptible
unappreciable
undetectable
glosses: Able to be sensed by the senses or the psyche; able to be perceived.
examples: text: Would your cambric were sensible as your finger.
ref: 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]:
glosses: Able to feel or perceive.
examples: text: a sensible thermometer
text: with affection wondrous sensible
ref: 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]:
glosses: Liable to external impression; easily affected; sensitive.
glosses: Of or pertaining to the senses; sensory.
examples: text: He cannot think at any time, waking or sleeping, without being sensible of it.
ref: 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], chapter I, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC:
text: 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.
ref: 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:
text: 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; […]
ref: 1749, [John Cleland], “[Letter the First]”, in Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [Fanny Hill], volume I, London: […] [Thomas Parker] for G. Fenton [i.e., Fenton and Ralph Griffiths] […], →OCLC, pages 213–214:
english: Fanny Hill
translation: Fanny Hill
text: we are now sensible that it would have been absurd
ref: 1810, Thomas Green, Extracts from the diary of a lover of literature:
glosses: Cognizant; having the perception of something; aware of something.
Derived terms: commonsensible
Related terms: sense
sensitive
sensory
sensual
sensuous
supersensible