sensitivity
Americannoun
plural
sensitivities-
the state or quality of being sensitive; sensitiveness.
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Physiology.
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the ability of an organism or part of an organism to react to stimuli; irritability.
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degree of susceptibility to stimulation.
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Electricity.
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the ability of a radio device to react to incoming signals, expressed as the minimum input signal required to produce a specified output signal with a given noise level.
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the input, as voltage, current, or the like, required to produce full deflection in an electric measuring device, expressed as the ratio of the response to the magnitude of the input quantity.
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noun
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the state or quality of being sensitive
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physiol the state, condition, or quality of reacting or being sensitive to an external stimulus, drug, allergen, etc
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electronics the magnitude or time of response of an instrument, circuit, etc, to an input signal, such as a current
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photog the degree of response of an emulsion to light or other actinic radiation, esp to light of a particular colour, expressed in terms of its speed
Related Words
See sensibility.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sensitivity
Explanation
Sensitivity has many shades of meaning but most relate to your response to your environment — either physical or emotional. Sensitivity to cold means you’re quick to notice the slightest chill — in the air or in another person’s actions. A sensitivity to pollen means you’re sneezing any time it’s in the air — you just always seem to react to it. It’s the same with emotions — sensitivity means you pick up on the feelings of others. If you have great sensitivity to your classmates, then you’re aware of their needs and behave in a way that makes them feel good. If you introduce a new policy with sensitivity, that means you consider how others will react to it.
Vocabulary lists containing sensitivity
"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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Nine, Ten
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poems by Nikki Giovanni
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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.
More recent reviews have linked intermittent fasting to improved insulin sensitivity, healthier lipid levels, and possible benefits for brain function and cardiovascular health.
From Science Daily • May 17, 2026
However he said that school leaders "fully recognise the importance of pupils being treated with dignity and sensitivity".
From BBC • May 16, 2026
A triangulation of deep sensitivity, porousness, and fear produces hypervigilance.
From Slate • May 10, 2026
The fashion-magazine moment is long gone as Miranda deals with such alarming new trends as budget cuts, the imperative to cram her vision into annoying little video clips, and consumer sensitivity to sweatshop manufacturing.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
They did not insist, because of both her extreme sensitivity and her tendency to sleepwalk whenever her imagination ran away with her.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
