sentience
noun
sen·tience
ˈsen(t)-sh(ē-)ən(t)s 
ˈsen-tē-ən(t)s
1
: a sentient quality or state
2
: feeling or sensation as distinguished from perception and thought
Examples of sentience in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Typically in sci-fi, artificial intelligence gaining sentience means bad things for human beings.
—
Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Oct. 2025
People see language as a marker of sentience and agency.
—Webb Wright, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
Today programmers are claiming their AI creations have achieved sentience; Google fired a senior developer who claimed their chatbot had gained self-awareness.
—Adam Verner
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
And isn’t that a kind of sentience, in a way?
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sentience
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Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Oct. 2025
People see language as a marker of sentience and agency.
—Webb Wright, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
Today programmers are claiming their AI creations have achieved sentience; Google fired a senior developer who claimed their chatbot had gained self-awareness.
—Adam Verner
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
And isn’t that a kind of sentience, in a way?
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sentience
Cite this Entry
“Sentience.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sentience. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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