sensible
Part of speech: adj
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: From Latin sēnsibilis (“perceptible by the senses, having feeling, sensible”), from sentiō (“to feel, perceive”).
Inflected forms:
form: more sensible
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: most sensible
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: sensiblest
pos: adj
tags: archaic
rare
superlative
Senses:
gloss: Acting with or showing good sense; able to make good judgements based on reason or wisdom, or reflecting such ability.
pos: adj
examples: They ask questions of someone who thinks he's got something sensible to say on some matter when actually he hasn't.
gloss: Characterized more by usefulness, practicality, or comfort than by attractiveness, formality, or fashionableness, especially of clothing.
pos: adj
examples: I only wear high heels on formal occasions; otherwise, I prefer sensible shoes.
“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!”
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.
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.
gloss: Able to be sensed by the senses or the psyche; able to be perceived.
pos: adj
tags: especially
formal
examples: For Plato the belief in sensible objects is fallible.
Air is sensible to the Touch by its Motion, and by its Resistance to Bodies moved in it.
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.
It has been vouchsafed, for example, to very few Christian believers to have had a sensible vision of their Saviour.
[T]he diſgrace was more ſensible than the pain.
The discovery of the mines of America […] does not seem to have had any very sensible effect upon the prices of things in England.
gloss: Able to feel or perceive.
pos: adj
tags: archaic
examples: Would your cambric were sensible as your finger.
gloss: Liable to external impression; easily affected; sensitive.
pos: adj
tags: archaic
examples: a sensible thermometer
with affection wondrous sensible
gloss: Of or pertaining to the senses; sensory.
pos: adj
tags: archaic
gloss: Cognizant; having the perception of something; aware of something.
pos: adj
tags: archaic
examples: He cannot think at any time, waking or sleeping, without being sensible of it.
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.
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; […]
we are now sensible that it would have been absurd
Related words: sense
sensitive
sensory
sensual
sensuous
supersensible
Derived words: commonsensible
electrosensible
extrasensible
nonsensible
oversensible
sensibilization
sensibleness
sensibly
subsensible
suprasensible
unsensible
Translations: