sense

noun

\ ˈsen(t)s

Definition of sense

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a meaning conveyed or intended : import, signification especially : one of a set of meanings a word or phrase may bear especially as segregated in a dictionary entry

2a : the faculty of perceiving by means of sense organs

b : a specialized function or mechanism (such as sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch) by which an animal receives and responds to external or internal stimuli

c : the sensory mechanisms constituting a unit distinct from other functions (such as movement or thought)

3 : conscious awareness or rationality —usually used in plural finally came to his senses

4a : a particular sensation or kind or quality of sensation a good sense of balance

b : a definite but often vague awareness or impression felt a sense of insecurity a sense of danger

c : a motivating awareness a sense of shame

d : a discerning awareness and appreciation her sense of humor

5 : consensus the sense of the meeting

6a : capacity for effective application of the powers of the mind as a basis for action or response : intelligence

b : sound mental capacity and understanding typically marked by shrewdness and practicality also : agreement with or satisfaction of such power this decision makes sense

7 : one of two opposite directions especially of motion (as of a point, line, or surface)

sense

verb

sensed; sensing

Definition of sense (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to perceive by the senses (see sense entry 1 sense 2)

b : to be or become conscious of sense danger

2 : grasp, comprehend

3 : to detect automatically especially in response to a physical stimulus (such as light or movement)

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about sense

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Synonyms for sense

Synonyms: Noun

feel, feeling, sensation

Synonyms: Verb

feel, perceive, scent, see, smell, taste

Choose the Right Synonym for sense

Noun

sense, common sense, judgment, wisdom mean ability to reach intelligent conclusions. sense implies a reliable ability to judge and decide with soundness, prudence, and intelligence. a choice showing good sense common sense suggests an average degree of such ability without sophistication or special knowledge. common sense tells me it's wrong judgment implies sense tempered and refined by experience, training, and maturity. they relied on her judgment for guidance wisdom implies sense and judgment far above average. a leader of rare wisdom

Examples of sense in a Sentence

Noun

There is an unnerving sense now that technology is driving the culture rather than the reverse. Machines and sites and software are breeding at an exponential clip, and we hapless humans race around trying to adapt. — Steven Johnson, Discover, July 2006 The caricature of neurotic nuns who specialized in corporal punishment and guilt crumbles before the countless examples of women religious who made the difference in determining that a child would eat, or be safe, or have any sense of dignity at all. — Luke Timothy Johnson, Commonweal, 22 Sept. 2006 Because Updike shrinks from giving any real credence to the ideology that drives his plot (in both senses of that word), the book becomes a temporarily enthralling, but ultimately empty shaggy dog story. — Jonathan Raban, New York Review of Books, 13 July 2006 Less distinguished people experience a similar tangling of the senses, some reporting that they can taste the words they speak or see the colors of certain words or numbers. This confounding of perception—called synesthesia—was thought to affect at most about 4 percent of the population, but University College London psychologist Jamie Ward has uncovered the best evidence yet that we may all have a bit of synesthesia. — Kathryn Garfield, Discover, December 2006 All of my senses were on the alert for danger. We had a sense that something wasn't quite right. His senses were clear despite his illness.

Verb

The latest feature on air conditioners is a big new plug to help prevent fires. The plug shuts down power when it senses that the air conditioner cord is damaged. — Consumer Reports, July 2005 With very little provocation, magic might have been flying back and forth in an unpleasant and damaging manner. Sensing the danger, Kate stepped between them and raised her hands. "Let us have no more of this. There is a confusion to be cleared up, and I cannot do that in the middle of a brannigan," she said. — John Morressy, Fantasy & Science Fiction, October/November 2004 In Pecnik, he had instantly sensed a kindred spirit. As a boy Pecnik had strapped homemade parachutes to hamsters and tossed them (without harm) from his sixth-story bedroom window; by the time he joined the Croatian national team he was making his own jumpsuits. — William Speed Weed, Popular Science, July 2003 She immediately sensed my dislike. A motion detector can sense movement.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

That would make sense, since the pair have known each other for quite some time. — Teen Vogue, "Harry Styles and Kendall Jenner Reunited at Met Gala 2019," 7 May 2019 The parts of her face that aren't bandaged are covered in welts, which make sense, considering the severity of her injuries. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "9 "Riverdale" Plot Holes That Will Keep You Up at Night," 3 May 2019 But all of the racial groups had a prediabetes prevalence over 30 percent, which makes sense given that this health condition affects a third of the adult U.S. population overall. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Viola Davis on Being Diagnosed With Prediabetes: ‘I Was Shocked’," 1 May 2019 As so much of the home overlooks the pool and lounge area out back, having something more subtle to balance the color on the inside makes sense. — Nikhita Mahtani, House Beautiful, "This Bold, Colorful Home is Extra in All the Best Ways," 30 Apr. 2019 The story seemed to make sense—but all of that changed when Elizabeth confronted Red. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "'The Blacklist' Dropped a Major Bombshell About Raymond Reddington's True Identity," 29 Apr. 2019 By using their sense of smell, the tiny insects, some only a quarter-inch in size, locate cockroach eggs and commandeer them. — Rob Dunn, Discover Magazine, "Our Attempts to Eradicate Insects are Just Making them Resistant to Pesticides," 16 Nov. 2018 Both can be true, and both make sense for a murderous woman. — Jill Gutowitz, Glamour, "Killing Eve Is Made for Women By Women, and It Shows," 8 Apr. 2019 The role makes sense for KJ, who is an aspiring musician as well as an actor. — Kara Nesvig, Teen Vogue, "KJ Apa Will Play Christian Singer-Songwriter Jeremy Camp in New Movie “I Still Believe”," 5 Apr. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Instead of sending light out, a Lighthouse Detector senses when radiation is coming in. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "“Lighthouse Detector” can distinguish between many sources of radiation," 9 Sep. 2018 So the sensing, feeling, considerate robots of tomorrow will need a system that triages environmental stimuli, or their heads will explode. — Matt Simon, WIRED, "Give the Robots Electronic Tongues," 24 May 2018 But amidst the caveats and the tensions, companies sense that there is serious money to be made. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Self-Driving Light Trucks Will Be Allowed on California Roads," 13 Apr. 2019 But with student loan bills looming, Villagomez can sense how the need for a paycheck — any paycheck — could suck him into a job that doesn’t take advantage of his education. — Alexia Elejalde-ruiz, chicagotribune.com, "Why settling for a subpar job right out of college can hurt your career for years," 13 June 2018 Capacitive switches on the center console include proximity sensors that sense when a finger is drawing near and can then display the corresponding menu in the main two infotainment screens—an attempt to reduce eyes-off-road time. — Joe Lorio, Car and Driver, "2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door: The More-Door AMG," 6 Mar. 2018 Joe sensed my boyfriend’s animosity and, unprepared for the competition, stumbled over his words. — Crystal Ponti, Harper's BAZAAR, "What It's Actually Like To Be Stalked by Joe," 12 Feb. 2019 Often, these dogs become therapy dogs, providing affection to those in need, while also sensing — and being able to react to — health problems. — Alexandra Gekas, Woman's Day, "9 Things Your Dog Is Trying to Tell You, According to Experts," 25 Feb. 2019 Many young managers sense a jarring loss of trust among former peers. — Sue Shellenbarger, WSJ, "When a Promotion Means Losing Friends at Work," 26 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sense.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for sense

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French sen, sens sensation, feeling, mechanism of perception, meaning, from Latin sensus, from sentire to perceive, feel; perhaps akin to Old High German sinnan to go, strive, Old English sith journey — more at send

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Learn More about sense

Dictionary Entries near sense

Statistics for sense

Last Updated

10 May 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for sense

The first known use of sense was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for sense

sense

noun

English Language Learners Definition of sense

(Entry 1 of 2)

: one of the five natural powers (touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing) through which you receive information about the world around you

: a physical feeling : something that your body experiences

: a particular feeling : an emotion that you are aware of

sense

verb

English Language Learners Definition of sense (Entry 2 of 2)

: to understand or be aware of (something) without being told about it or having evidence that it is true

of a machine : to detect the presence or occurrence of (something)

See the full definition for sense in the English Language Learners Dictionary

sense

noun

\ ˈsens

Kids Definition of sense

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a specialized function or mechanism (as sight, taste, or touch) of the body that involves the action and effect of a stimulus on a sense organ

2 : awareness arrived at through or as if through the senses He felt a sense of danger.

3 : a particular sensation or kind of sensation I lost my sense of balance.

4 : the ability to make wise decisions

5 : an awareness or understanding of something a sense of humor a sense of pride

6 : a reason or excuse based on intelligence or good judgment There is no sense in continuing.

7 : a logical, sensible, or practical thing, act, or way of doing Saving money for the future makes sense.

8 : a meaning or one of a set of meanings a word, phrase, or story may have

sense

verb

sensed; sensing

Kids Definition of sense (Entry 2 of 2)

: to be or become aware of My cat can sense the approach of a storm.

sense

noun

\ ˈsen(t)s

Medical Definition of sense

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : the faculty of perceiving by means of sense organs

b : a specialized function or mechanism (as sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch) by which an animal receives and responds to external or internal stimuli

c : the sensory mechanisms constituting a unit distinct from other functions (as movement or thought)

2 : a particular sensation or kind or quality of sensation a good sense of balance