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Definition of sensitivity
sensitivities
: the quality or state of being sensitive: such asa : the capacity of an organism or sense organ to respond to stimulation : irritabilityb : the quality or state of being hypersensitivec : the degree to which a radio receiving set responds to incoming wavesd : the capacity of being easily hurte : awareness of the needs and emotions of others a book written with just the right mix of empathy and sensitivity — L. C. Brown
From the M-W Editors
Examples of sensitivity in a Sentence
I was surprised by her extreme sensitivity about even the smallest suggestions that we made.
This is a matter of great political sensitivity.
He handled the situation with great sensitivity.
Her decision shows a lack of sensitivity.
I would have appreciated a little more sensitivity from you.
Recent Examples of sensitivity from the Web
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How could an amateur like me ever learn what combinations of shutter speed, aperture and sensitivity to light (ISO) to dial up for a certain picture?
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Fate gave Tchaikovsky an extremely fine psyche and incredible sensitivity.
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Beard noted that the mausoleum incident did not involve alcohol and that YPT had warned all customers about the political sensitivities of the site.
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Delta Southern Cheese Steak Sandwiches Recent data suggests that more than 20 million Americans are either gluten intolerant or suffer from gluten sensitivity.
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In that context, some of The Seattle Times’ headlines online Sunday and in print Monday lacked sensitivity and caused readers pain.
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This would give LISA enough sensitivity to detect all sorts of gravitational waves.
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Prior to this season, the show has hedged its bets slightly about whether we're supposed to believe Chuck has a real medical sensitivity to electricity or an undiagnosed mental illness, but this past run of episodes has made the latter explicit.
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Facial sensitivity might have been useful in killing or feeding behaviour, assisting the animal’s ability to make careful, directed defleshing movement and avoiding bone during its bites.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sensitivity'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Do you have acuity or sensitivity?
Acuity is nearly synonymous with at least one sense of sensitivity, yet, as is so often the case with closely-related words, there are subtle differences worth observing before you substitute one of these words for the other. Acuity does refer to a form of sensitivity, but it is most often applied to the perceptual senses (as in “visual acuity” or “auditory acuity”). It is also frequently used in reference to the intellect (as in “mental acuity”). Sensitivity has a broader range of meanings than acuity does, including “the capacity of being easily hurt.” It may be used of inanimate objects such as radios (“the sensitivity of the instruments was carefully calibrated”), a context in which acuity is unusual.
First Known Use of sensitivity
1803
SENSITIVITY Defined for English Language Learners
sensitivity
playDefinition of sensitivity for English Language Learners
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: the tendency to become upset about things that are done to you, are said about you, or relate to you
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: the tendency to cause people to be upset
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: an awareness and understanding of the feelings of other people
SENSITIVITY Defined for Kids
sensitivity
playDefinition of sensitivity for Students
1 : an awareness and understanding of the feelings of others
2 : the ability to express thoughts and feelings She sings with great sensitivity.
Medical Dictionary
sensitivity
playMedical Definition of sensitivity
sensitivities
: the quality or state of being sensitive: asa: the capacity of an organism or sense organ to respond to stimulation : irritabilityb: the quality or state of being hypersensitive
Learn More about sensitivity
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See words that rhyme with sensitivity Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sensitivity Spanish Central: Translation of sensitivity Nglish: Translation of sensitivity for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sensitivity for Arabic speakers
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