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
- antisensitivity noun
- nonsensitivity noun
Etymology
Origin of sensitivity
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.
Groff’s skill at historical detail is on fine display here, shifting from the World Wars to the present day, with particular sensitivity to the ways characters evolve over decades.
From Los Angeles Times
A UK government spokesperson said the length of processing time "depends on the complexities and sensitivities of a bill, as well as any legal and constitutional issues".
From BBC
"With Webb's sensitivity, we can trace how energy moves upward through the planet's atmosphere and even see the influence of its lopsided magnetic field."
From Science Daily
No records were withheld from the DoJ's release "on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity", the letter added.
From BBC
"I hope she can use this sensitivity to share her experience of the flight," he said.
From Barron's
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.
