attuned

adjective

at·​tuned ə-ˈtünd How to pronounce attuned (audio)
-ˈtyünd
: aware of and attentive or responsive to something
used with to
… designed to produce a … police department that is more attuned to the needs of individual communities …Clifford Krauss
… what's especially crucial is the mother's or caregiver's "sensitivity"—how attuned she is to her child's experience of the world.Pamela Druckerman
… disenchanted with a government that seems more attuned to the interests of big business and rural folk than to those of urban dwellers.Edwin O. Reischauer

Examples of attuned in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web After all, the company has previously claimed that, unlike other high-value car brands, the average age of its customers is under 40—a group that should be far more attuned to the benefits of electric vehicles. WIRED, 6 Sep. 2023 Mystic Seaport Museum With a naturalist’s attuned eye and a painter’s expressive hand, the artist paints worlds most of us never think of, deploying motifs that echo through art history. Cate McQuaid, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2023 Leah was more attuned to the hallmarks of movement-building: an upcoming singles’ night, a pancake breakfast, infant care—amenities that were increasingly rare in the public commons. Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2023 But that did not occur in 2021 nor this year, an indication that migration patterns are more attuned to smugglers’ operations and perceived changes in U.S. enforcement, rather than the weather, according to CBP officials. Nick Miroff and Maria Sacchetti, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Aug. 2023 People, of course, are innately attuned to this sound, and cats have evolved to take advantage of this sensitivity to get our attention. Jonathan Losos, Discover Magazine, 10 Aug. 2023 That the crocs are so attuned to the cries of human babies in distress may also mean that the reptiles have been listening for such calls for a very long time, posing a danger to our ancestors throughout evolution. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Aug. 2023 Being attuned to kids' emotional states is crucial for healthy development. Jenny Anderson, Time, 8 Aug. 2023 Staying informed and attuned to symptoms is crucial. Lucy Tu, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'attuned.' 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

1760, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of attuned was in 1760

Dictionary Entries Near attuned

Cite this Entry

“Attuned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attuned. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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