sensible

[sen-suh-buhl]

See more synonyms for sensible on Thesaurus.com

adjective

having, using, or showing good sense or sound judgment: a sensible young woman.
cognizant; keenly aware (usually followed by of): sensible of his fault.
significant in quantity, magnitude, etc.; considerable; appreciable: a sensible reduction in price.

capable of being perceived by the senses; material: the sensible universe.
capable of feeling or perceiving, as organs or parts of the body.
perceptible to the mind.
conscious: The patient was speechless but still sensible.
Archaic. sensitive.

Origin of sensible

1325–75; Middle English < Old French < Latin sēnsibilis, equivalent to sēns(us) sense + -ibilis -ible

Related formssen·si·ble·ness, nounsen·si·bly, adverbnon·sen·si·ble, adjectivenon·sen·si·ble·ness, nounnon·sen·si·bly, adverbo·ver·sen·si·ble, adjectiveo·ver·sen·si·ble·ness, nouno·ver·sen·si·bly, adverbun·sen·si·ble, adjectiveun·sen·si·ble·ness, nounun·sen·si·bly, adverb

Synonyms for sensible

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1. intelligent, sagacious, rational, reasonable. 2. conscious, understanding, observant. 4. perceptible, discernible, palpable.

Synonym study

1. See practical.

Antonyms for sensible

1. stupid.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for sensible

wise, down-to-earth, shrewd, logical, practical, judicious, sane, rational, sober, prudent, intelligent, astute, attentive, aware, canny, cognizant, commonsensical, conscious, consequent, conversant

Examples from the Web for sensible

Contemporary Examples of sensible

And in an environment where time is money, hooking up with an escort just might be the sensible thing to do.
Career-Minded Women Turn to Male Escorts For No-Strings Fun and (Maybe) Sex
Aurora Snow
January 3, 2015
In The Sense of Style, Steven Pinker settles a war among the scolds with a sensible approach to usage.
Go Ahead, End With a Preposition: Grammar Rules We All Can Live With
Nick Romeo
November 3, 2014
The White House just launched a major initiative to implement a more modern, sensible drug policy.
Why Isn’t Prison Justice on the Ballot This Tuesday?
Inimai Chettiar, Abigail Finkelman
November 1, 2014
The sensible answer is no, but di Giovannni gleaned much from those three years.
Borges Had A Genius For Literature But Not Love Or Much Else
Allen Barra
October 24, 2014
Writing—the next movie, the labels—is a sensible thing for a man grown distrustful of the camera to do.
The Stacks: The Eyes of Winter: Paul Newman at 70
Peter Richmond
October 11, 2014

Historical Examples of sensible

Then we wonder that respect for the law shows a sensible decrease!
'Tis Sixty Years Since
Charles Francis Adams
"My aunt will treat the affair like the sensible woman she is," replied the earl.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
It is the sensible schemes, unfortunately, that are hopeless in England.
A Treatise on Parents and Children
George Bernard Shaw
When a master does not consider what he is doing, a sensible servant should set him right.
The Imaginary Invalid
Molire
All foreigners break their wives' hearts—Nelly's a sensible girl!
The Bacillus of Beauty
Harriet Stark

British Dictionary definitions for sensible

sensible

adjective

having or showing good sense or judgmenta sensible decision
(of clothing) serviceable; practicalsensible shoes
having the capacity for sensation; sensitive
capable of being apprehended by the senses
perceptible to the mind
(sometimes foll by of) having perception; awaresensible of your kindness
readily perceived; considerablea sensible difference

noun

Also called: sensible note a less common term for leading note

Derived Formssensibleness, nounsensibly, adverb

Word Origin for sensible

C14: from Old French, from Late Latin sēnsibilis, from Latin sentīre to sense

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 sensible

adj.

late 14c., "capable of sensation or feeling;" also "capable of being sensed or felt, perceptible to the senses," hence "easily understood; logical, reasonable," from Late Latin sensibilis "having feeling, perceptible by the senses," from sensus, past participle of sentire "perceive, feel" (see sense (n.)). Of persons, "aware, cognizant (of something)" early 15c.; "having good sense, capable of reasoning, discerning, clever," mid-15c. Of clothes, shoes, etc., "practical rather than fashionable" it is attested from 1855.

Other Middle English senses included "susceptible to injury or pain" (early 15c., now gone with sensitive); "worldly, temporal, outward" (c.1400); "carnal, unspiritual" (early 15c., now gone with sensual). Related: Sensibleness.

sensible in Medicine

sensible

[sĕn′sə-bəl]

adj.

Perceptible by the senses or by the mind.
Having the faculty of sensation; able to feel or perceive.
Having a perception of something; cognizant.