adjective
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of or relating to the senses or the power of sensation
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of or relating to those processes and structures within an organism that receive stimuli from the environment and convey them to the brain
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sensory
Explanation
The adjective sensory describes something relating to sensation — something that you feel with your physical senses. Sticking a knife into a toaster will give you a sensory experience, but so will smelling a rose. Stick with the rose. Sensory comes from the Latin word sentire, meaning "to perceive, feel." Sampling your mom's blueberry pie is a sensory experience — you can smell it, you can taste it, and the crust has a really good texture. You may get sensory overload when you're in New York City because there's so much for your senses to take in. Sensory can also describe a nerve fiber, such as a sensory neuron, that carries impulses to the nerve centers in your body.
Vocabulary lists containing sensory
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 4
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ACT Vocabulary List
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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.
Sensory aversions to specific smells, tastes, textures, temperatures, or appearances of foods.
From Slate • Jan. 4, 2025
Sensory cortices on the other hand play an important role in how we perceive our environment and make appropriate movements, and how our brains determine what to focus on and what to ignore.
From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2024
Sensory areas and activities such as sand tables and a play kitchen or dress-up corner are good indications of a play-based program.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2024
Sensory input becomes tiny memories, which then become encoded into episodes that the brain uses to estimate how much time has passed.
From Salon • Nov. 5, 2023
One bright summer day, I had lunch with two women who run a company in New Jersey called Sensory Spectrum.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
