sentient
Americanadjective
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having the power of perception by the senses; conscious.
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characterized by sensation and consciousness.
noun
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a person or thing that is sentient.
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Archaic. the conscious mind.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sentient
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin sentient-, stem of sentiēns “feeling,” present participle of sentīre “to feel” cf. sense ( def. )
Explanation
Someone sentient is able to feel things, or sense them. Sentient usually occurs in phrases like "sentient beings" and "sentient creatures," making it clear that things that don’t have life don’t have feelings. Explain that to a pet rock. Sentient comes from the Latin sentient-, "feeling," and it describes things that are alive, able to feel and perceive, and show awareness or responsiveness. Having senses makes something sentient, or able to smell, communicate, touch, see, or hear. Whether or not plants and living things other than animals and people are sentient depends on whom you ask.
Vocabulary lists containing sentient
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Common Senses: Sent, Sens ("Feel")
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100 SAT words Beginning with "S"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sentient robots have inspired decades of dystopian science fiction.
From Washington Post • Jun. 11, 2022
Sentient and picturesque lawn mowers, they were also friends, though very different in temperament.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 13, 2021
It now apparently stands for Sentient Weapons Observation and Response Division, a crucial difference that seems not to sit well with agent Monica Rambeau.
From Slate • Jan. 29, 2021
If you've been following Conor's various impressions over the last year or so, you'll immediately recognize these two caricatures: The obliviously arrogant Ian Poulter and Tiger "The Sentient Platitude" Woods.
From Golf Digest • May 15, 2019
The Society of Sentient Insects had gone and invented ‘people repellent’ spray.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
