sensibility

noun

sen·​si·​bil·​i·​ty ˌsen(t)-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

plural sensibilities

1

: ability to receive sensations : sensitiveness

tactile sensibility

2

: peculiar susceptibility to a pleasurable or painful impression (as from praise or a slight)

—often used in plural

3

: awareness of and responsiveness toward something (such as emotion in another)

4

: refined or excessive sensitiveness in emotion and taste with especial responsiveness to the pathetic

Did you know?

The meanings of sensibility run the gamut from mere sensation to excessive sentimentality. In between is a capacity for delicate appreciation, a sense often pluralized. In Jane Austen's books, sensibility is mostly an admirable quality she attributes to, or finds lacking in, her characters: "He had ... a sensibility to what was amiable and lovely" (of Mr. Elliot in Persuasion). In Sense and Sensibility, however, Austen starts out by ascribing to Marianne sensibleness, on the one hand, but an "excess of sensibility" on the other: "Her sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation ... she was everything but prudent."

Synonyms

• feeling
• heartstrings
• passions

Examples of sensibility in a Sentence

The writer is remembered most for his sensibility.

She's a woman of poetic sensibility.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the novel, the Captain’s medium is his message: his lyrically reproachful narration betrays his bourgeois sensibility and jaded world view. —Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024

Those who remained answered a list of 42 questions that offered a sketch of their professional lives, media diets and political sensibilities. —Kate Christobek, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024

Israel and the Gulf states might harbor doubts about Donald Trump’s reliability, but the combination of his quasi-isolationist sensibilities and his affection for authoritarian leaders would ease U.S. pressure on a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis and other discomfiting issues. —Steven Simon, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024

The series percolated with the idiosyncratic sensibilities of its creators like few before it, unafraid to digress from the obligations of conventional plotting in order to indulge in pure storytelling, character development, imagery and atmosphere. —Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024

Advertisement The online programs showcased his sensibilities and captured the audience’s interest in real time, with Cohen often reading their tweets and questions off social media. —Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024

Tailor it to your aesthetic sensibilities, creating a cherished keepsake that celebrates your individuality. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

Dreamlike imagery and visual games are its recurring features, as are an underlying political sensibility and a desire to make the viewer question the world around them. —Cath Pound, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024

Shows like The Gilded Age and The Forsyte Saga and a love for all things vintage have reintroduced the late 19th and early 20th-century sensibility to younger interior designers and home decor aficionados. —Sharon Greenthal, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

sensibility

noun

sen·​si·​bil·​i·​ty ˌsen(t)-sə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

plural sensibilities

1

: ability to receive sensations : sensitiveness

2

: response to a pleasurable or painful impression (as praise or criticism)

3

: the emotion or feeling of which a person is capable

Medical Definition

sensibility

noun

sen·​si·​bil·​i·​ty ˌsen(t)-sə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

plural sensibilities

1

: ability to receive sensations

sensibility to pain

2

: awareness of and responsiveness toward something (as emotion in another)