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[sens] /sɛns/
My sense of smell tells me that dinner is ready.
these faculties collectively.
their operation or function; sensation.
a feeling or perception produced through the organs of touch, taste, etc., or resulting from a particular condition of some part of the body:
to have a sense of cold.
a faculty or function of the mind analogous to sensation:
the moral sense.
any special capacity for perception, estimation, appreciation, etc.:
a sense of humor.
Usually, senses. clear and sound mental faculties; sanity:
Have you taken leave of your senses?
a more or less vague perception or impression:
a sense of security.
a mental discernment, realization, or recognition; acuteness:
a just sense of the worth of a thing.
the recognition of something as incumbent or fitting:
a sense of duty.
sound practical intelligence:
He has no sense.
something that is sensible or reasonable:
Try to talk sense instead of shouting.
the meaning or gist of something:
You missed the sense of his statement.
the value or worth of something; merit:
There's no sense in worrying about the past.
the meaning of a word or phrase in a specific context, especially as isolated in a dictionary or glossary; the semantic element in a word or group of words.
an opinion or judgment formed or held, especially by an assemblage or body of persons:
the sense of a meeting.
Genetics. a DNA sequence that is capable of coding for an amino acid (distinguished from nonsense).
Mathematics. one of two opposite directions in which a vector may point.
verb (used with object), sensed, sensing.
to perceive (something) by the senses; become aware of.
to grasp the meaning of; understand.
(of certain mechanical devices) to detect physical phenomena, as light, temperature, radioactivity, etc., mechanically, electrically, or photoelectrically.
Computers. to read (punched holes, tape, data, etc.) mechanically, electrically, or photoelectrically.
come to one's senses, to regain one's good judgment or realistic point of view; become reasonable.
in a sense, according to one explanation or view; to a certain extent:
In a sense it may have been the only possible solution.
make sense, to be reasonable or comprehensible:
His attitude doesn't make sense.
Origin of sense
1350-1400; (noun) Middle English < Latin sēnsus sensation, feeling, understanding, equivalent to sent(īre) to feel + -tus suffix of v. action, with tt > s; (v.) derivative of the noun
Related forms
half-sensed, adjective
unsensed, adjective
unsensing, adjective
Can be confused
cents, scents, sense.
4. Sense, sensation refer to consciousness of stimulus or of a perception as pleasant or unpleasant. A sense is an awareness or recognition of something; the stimulus may be subjective and the entire process may be mental or intellectual: a sense of failure. A sensation is an impression derived from an objective (external) stimulus through any of the sense organs: a sensation of heat. It is also a general, indefinite physical or emotional feeling: a sensation of weariness. 5. awareness, apprehension. 7. rationality. 9. estimation, appreciation. 13. signification, import, denotation, connotation, interpretation. See meaning. 16. feeling, sentiment. 19. discern, appreciate, recognize. Unabridged
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Examples from the Web for sensing
Contemporary Examples
Historical Examples
  • As if sensing his inspection, she turned toward him, and met his wondering eyes.

    The Plunderer Roy Norton
  • An alert watchbird, sensing violence, had knocked him out of his seat.

    Watchbird Robert Sheckley
  • The hairy ones crowded around him, sensing a change in plan.

    The Devil's Asteroid Manly Wade Wellman
  • "I'm sorry to disturb you at this hour of the night," said Tarling, sensing her disapproval.

    The Daffodil Mystery

    Edgar Wallace
  • sensing the purpose to offend, Terry straightened in his chair to face Sears.

    Terry Charles Goff Thomson
British Dictionary definitions for sensing


such faculties collectively; the ability to perceive
a feeling perceived through one of the senses: a sense of warmth
a mental perception or awareness: a sense of happiness
moral discernment; understanding: a sense of right and wrong
(sometimes pl) sound practical judgment or intelligence: he is a man without any sense
reason or purpose: what is the sense of going out in the rain?
substance or gist; meaning: what is the sense of this proverb?
specific meaning; definition: in what sense are you using the word?
an opinion or consensus
(maths) one of two opposite directions measured on a directed line; the sign as contrasted with the magnitude of a vector
(logic, linguistics)
  2. the property of an expression by virtue of which its referent is determined
  3. that which one grasps in understanding an expression
make sense, to be reasonable or understandable
take leave of one's senses, See leave2 (sense 8)
verb (transitive)
to perceive through one or more of the senses
to apprehend or detect without or in advance of the evidence of the senses
to understand
  1. to test or locate the position of (a part of computer hardware)
  2. to read (data)
Word Origin
C14: from Latin sēnsus, from sentīre to feel
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for sensing




Meaning "that which is wise" is from c.1600. Meaning "capacity for perception and appreciation" is from c.1600 (e.g. Sense of humor, attested by 1783, sense of shame, 1640s).




Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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sensing in Medicine

sense (sěns)


  2. A perception or feeling that is produced by a stimulus; sensation, as of hunger.

v. sensed, sens·ing, sens·es
To become aware of; perceive.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
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Idioms and Phrases with sensing
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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