insentient

adjective

in·​sen·​tient (ˌ)in-ˈsen(t)-sh(ē-)ənt How to pronounce insentient (audio)
: lacking perception, consciousness, or animation

Examples of insentient in a Sentence

refused to believe that the universe as we know it evolved from the random interactions of insentient particles of matter an insentient therapist who failed to see what the teenager's real problem was
Recent Examples on the Web But its shortcomings are essentially those of the novel: its single-track didacticism; its neat pitting of romantic idealists against macho, insentient normies; and the fact that a decisive plot twist can be spotted a mile off. Houman Barekat, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2023 Genes are insentient things and cannot be said to have any kind of purposeful selfish or unselfish behavior. Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'insentient.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1764, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of insentient was in 1764

Dictionary Entries Near insentient

Cite this Entry

“Insentient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insentient. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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