Dictionary.com
definitions

sensation

[ sen-sey-shuh n ]
/ sɛnˈseɪ ʃən /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sensation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

RELATED CONTENT

“Mystery missile” web sensation may have simply been a “contrail.” What does that mean?A mysterious event in the sky outside of Los Angeles last week grabbed the attention of the media and conspiracy theorists. Was it a secret missile test? Even the Pentagon seemed flummoxed. This week, the military weighed in, dismissing it as the contrail of an ordinary jet. Not to be confused with a coelacanth, the Contras, or any conspiracy-themed topic, a contrail is the benign conjoining of “condensation” and …
READ MORE
ASMRRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

emotion, impression, sensitivity, passion, sense, excitement, thrill, phenomenon, prodigy, susceptibility, sentiment, consciousness, thought, tingle, sensibility, sensitiveness, response, awareness, vibes, scandal

Nearby words

  1. sens,
  2. sensa,
  3. sensate,
  4. sensate focus,
  5. sensately,
  6. sensational,
  7. sensationalism,
  8. sensationalist,
  9. sensationalize,
  10. sensationism

Origin of sensation

1605–15; < Medieval Latin sēnsātiōn- (stem of sēnsātiō), equivalent to Late Latin sēnsāt(us) sensate + -iōn- -ion
SYNONYMS FOR sensation
2, 4. See sense. 6. excitement, stimulation, animation; agitation, commotion, perturbation.
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sensation ON THESAURUS.COM
Related formssen·sa·tion·less, adjectivenon·sen·sa·tion, nounre·sen·sa·tion, nounsub·sen·sa·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sensation

British Dictionary definitions for sensation

sensation

/ (sɛnˈseɪʃən) /

noun

the power of perceiving through the senses
a physical condition or experience resulting from the stimulation of one of the sense organsa sensation of warmth
a general feeling or awarenessa sensation of fear
a state of widespread public excitementhis announcement caused a sensation
anything that causes such a stateyour speech was a sensation
Derived Formssensationless, adjective

Word Origin for sensation

C17: from Medieval Latin sensātiō, from Late Latin sensātus sensate
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for sensation

sensation

n.

1610s, "a reaction to external stimulation of the sense organs," from French sensation (14c.) and directly from Medieval Latin sensationem (nominative sensatio), from Late Latin sensatus "endowed with sense, sensible," from Latin sensus "feeling" (see sense (n.)). Meaning "state of shock, surprise, in a community" first recorded 1779.

The great object of life is sensation -- to feel that we exist, even though in pain. It is this 'craving void' which drives us to gaming -- to battle, to travel -- to intemperate, but keenly felt, pursuits of any description, whose principal attraction is the agitation inseparable from their accomplishment. [Lord Byron, letter, Sept. 6, 1813]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for sensation

sensation

[ sĕn-sā′shən ]

n.

A perception associated with stimulation of a sense organ or with a specific body condition.
The faculty to feel or perceive; physical sensibility.
An indefinite, generalized body feeling.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.