sensitive

American  

[sen-si-tiv] / ˈsɛn sɪ tɪv /

adjective

1. endowed with sensation; having perception through the senses.

2. readily or excessively affected by external agencies or influences.

3. having acute mental or emotional sensibility; aware of and responsive to the feelings of others.

4. easily pained, annoyed, etc.

5. pertaining to or connected with the senses or sensation.

6. Physiology. having a low threshold of sensation or feeling.

7. responding to stimuli, as leaves that move when touched.

8. highly responsive to certain agents, as photographic plates, films, or paper.

9. affected or likely to be affected by a specified stimulus (used in combination).

   price-sensitive markets.

10. involving work, duties, or information of a highly secret or delicate nature, especially in government.

    a sensitive position in the State Department.

11. requiring tact or caution; delicate; touchy.

    a sensitive topic.

12. constructed to indicate, measure, or be affected by small amounts or changes, as a balance or thermometer.

13. Radio. easily affected by external influences, especially by radio waves.

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noun

1. a person who is sensitive.

2. a person with psychic powers; medium.

sensitive British  

/ ˈsɛnsɪtɪv /

adjective

1. having the power of sensation

2. responsive to or aware of feelings, moods, reactions, etc

3. easily irritated; delicate

   sensitive skin

4. affected by external conditions or stimuli

5. easily offended

6. of or relating to the senses or the power of sensation

7. capable of registering small differences or changes in amounts, quality, etc

   a sensitive instrument

8. photog having a high sensitivity

   a sensitive emulsion

9. connected with matters affecting national security, esp through access to classified information

10. (of a stock market or prices) quickly responsive to external influences and thus fluctuating or tending to fluctuate

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Other Word Forms

• nonsensitive adjective
• nonsensitively adverb
• nonsensitiveness noun
• sensitively adverb
• sensitiveness noun
• ultrasensitive adjective
• ultrasensitively adverb
• unsensitive adjective
• unsensitively adverb
• unsensitiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of sensitive

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Medieval Latin sēnsitīvus, irregular formation from Latin sēns(us) “felt” (past participle of sentīre “to feel”) + -īvus -ive; replacing Middle English sensitif(e), from Middle French sensitif, sensitive, from Medieval Latin, as above; sense

Example Sentences

Manufacturing such complex and sensitive products in large enough quantities to make economic sense is harder still.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Lower-income earners are particularly sensitive to rising costs, and they are increasingly relying on their credit cards to cover groceries, healthcare and utilities, often carrying a balance.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

Five states, meanwhile, have provided publicly available voter information – name, address and party affiliation – to the DOJ while withholding more sensitive information.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

Tech stocks are sensitive because much of their value lies in earnings far in the future.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Sometimes, her anxiety makes her too sensitive and she misreads people.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

Related Words

• conscious
• delicate
• emotional
• hypersensitive
• keen
• nervous
• perceptive
• precise
• receptive
• responsive
• susceptible
• tense
• touchy
• tricky
• unstable