sense
any of the faculties, such as sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch, by which humans and animals perceive stimuli originating from outside or inside the body: Helen Keller once wrote that hearing was the sense she most wished she could have had.
Usually sen·ses . the faculties by which humans and animals perceive stimuli originating from outside or inside the body collectively: His senses were screaming that danger was nearby.
the operation or function of the organs of touch, taste, etc.; sensation: The bloodhound’s sense of smell is greatly enhanced by its long, droopy ears, which scoop up the scents from the ground.
a feeling or perception produced through the organs of touch, taste, etc., or resulting from a particular condition of some part of the body: She had an uncomfortable sense of cold on the back of her neck.
a faculty or function of the mind analogous to sensation: His moral sense rebelled against such an unethical scheme.
any special capacity for perception, estimation, appreciation, etc.: In this job you've got to have a sense of humor.
Usually sen·ses . clear and sound mental faculties; sanity: Have you taken leave of your senses?
a more or less vague perception or impression: Sitting with his back to the wall gave him a sense of security.
a mental discernment, realization, or recognition: All workers should have a sense of the worth of their labor.
the recognition of something as incumbent or fitting: My sense of duty compels me to accept this mission.
sound practical intelligence: He has no sense.
something that is sensible or reasonable: Try to talk sense instead of shouting.
the meaning or gist of something: You missed the sense of his statement.
the value or worth of something; merit: There's no sense in worrying about the past.
the meaning of a word or phrase in a specific context, especially as isolated in a dictionary or glossary; the semantic element in a word or group of words: The word "dog" has a literal sense, but it can also be metaphorical.
an opinion or judgment formed or held, especially by an assemblage or body of persons: We didn't bother with formal minutes, but we did take notes on the general sense of the meeting.
Genetics. a DNA sequence that is capable of coding for an amino acid (distinguished from nonsense).
Mathematics. one of two opposite directions in which a vector may point.
to perceive (something) by the senses; become aware of: I sense there's a storm on the way.
to grasp the meaning of; understand.
(of certain mechanical devices) to detect physical phenomena, as light, temperature, radioactivity, etc., mechanically, electrically, or photoelectrically.
Computers. to receive or capture (encoded data) electrically, photoelectrically, etc., through an input device: When you scan the bar code, an optical mark reader senses the data encoded in the position of the bars.: Compare read1 (def. 16).
Idioms about sense
come to one's senses, to regain one's good judgment or realistic point of view; become reasonable.
in a sense, according to one explanation or view; to a certain extent: In a sense it may have been the only possible solution.
make sense, to be reasonable or comprehensible: His attitude doesn't make sense.
Origin of sense
1synonym study For sense
Other words for sense
Other words from sense
- half-sensed, adjective
- un·sensed, adjective
- un·sens·ing, adjective
Words that may be confused with sense
Words Nearby sense
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use sense in a sentence
In the absence of any competitions on the horizon, I just didn’t see how it made any sense to practice.
School Sports Became ‘Clubs’ Amid the Pandemic – Now Two Coaches Are Out | Ashly McGlone | September 17, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoWhile I call these outlooks “depressed,” I mean it only in an economic sense.
There’s growing consensus that oil demand won’t make a comeback | eamonbarrett | September 17, 2020 | FortuneMixing flashy sexual parts and super-simple other parts makes sense for the plant kingdom’s extreme parasites.
‘Vampire’ parasite challenges the definition of a plant | Susan Milius | September 16, 2020 | Science News For StudentsThis makes sense — our previous research shows that playoff experience matters a lot in the NBA.
The Miami Heat Act Like They’ve Been Here Before. They (Mostly) Haven’t. | Andres Waters | September 15, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightIn the future, Microsoft reckons it could make sense to co-locate such underwater data centers with offshore wind farms.
Microsoft hails success of its undersea data center experiment—and says it could have implications on dry land, too | David Meyer | September 15, 2020 | Fortune
But give the Kingdom credit for its sense of mercy: The lashes will be administered only 50 at a time.
It may be fun and it may get them paid, until oversaturation ruins our sense for irony and destroys the market for it.
Other major news outlets made the same decision, hiding behind a misplaced sense of multicultural sensitivity.
And extortion makes a lot more sense before a story hits the news wire, not after.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers | Stereo Williams | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTBecause they stopped and I thought, “OK, that makes sense,” and then all of a sudden I saw another issue!
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness | Marlow Stern | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTA constant sense of easy balance should be developed through poising exercises.
Expressive Voice Culture | Jessie Eldridge SouthwickThere is, perhaps, in this childish suffering often something more than the sense of being homeless and outcast.
Children's Ways | James SullyIn one sense, then, the new issue has adequate expansibility for ordinary needs.
Readings in Money and Banking | Chester Arthur PhillipsThat is the only point in which one sees Liszt's sense of his own greatness; otherwise his manner is remarkably unassuming.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy FayIn the close relation and affection of these last days, the sense of alienation and antagonism faded from both their hearts.
Ramona | Helen Hunt Jackson
British Dictionary definitions for sense
/ (sɛns) /
any of the faculties by which the mind receives information about the external world or about the state of the body. In addition to the five traditional faculties of sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell, the term includes the means by which bodily position, temperature, pain, balance, etc, are perceived
such faculties collectively; the ability to perceive
a feeling perceived through one of the senses: a sense of warmth
a mental perception or awareness: a sense of happiness
moral discernment; understanding: a sense of right and wrong
(sometimes plural) sound practical judgment or intelligence: he is a man without any sense
reason or purpose: what is the sense of going out in the rain?
substance or gist; meaning: what is the sense of this proverb?
specific meaning; definition: in what sense are you using the word?
an opinion or consensus
maths one of two opposite directions measured on a directed line; the sign as contrasted with the magnitude of a vector
logic linguistics
the import of an expression as contrasted with its referent. Thus the morning star and the evening star have the same reference, Venus, but different senses
the property of an expression by virtue of which its referent is determined
that which one grasps in understanding an expression
make sense to be reasonable or understandable
take leave of one's senses See leave 2 (def. 8)
to perceive through one or more of the senses
to apprehend or detect without or in advance of the evidence of the senses
to understand
computing
to test or locate the position of (a part of computer hardware)
to read (data)
Origin of sense
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with sense
see come to one's senses; horse sense; in a sense; lull into (a false sense of security); make sense; sixth sense; take leave of (one's senses); talk sense.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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