sensitivity
Americannoun
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sensitivities
plural
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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
Synonym Usage
See sensibility.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
Vysotsky said Ukrainians "understand the sensitivity of certain segments for European farmers" and were open to "substantive discussions about adaptation periods, the scale of market access and safeguard mechanisms".
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
But on a track where power sensitivity is lower, the improvements to the chassis made in terms of aerodynamics and weight since the summer added up.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Sensitivity measures how successfully the system identifies manipulated videos, making the particularly high sensitivity important for a screening tool designed to keep fake content from slipping through.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
Low coupon bonds have higher duration and greater convexity—measures of their price sensitivity to interest rates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
They tested the movement of her eyes, the sensitivity of her ears, the color of her pee.
From "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko
The current controversy began in May and June, when the Oakland-based law firm Cole & Van Note filed a series of class-action lawsuits representing California hotel customers with fragrance sensitivities and targeting major hotel chains.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
"We are staying in a tourist area where the shops are predominantly beach shops, with very limited clothing options, particularly for someone with sensory sensitivities," the mum explained.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
The move was not huge, but it shows the sensitivities at a moment when Burnham is overhauling his cabinet.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Australia lays claim to around 28 percent of the world's uranium resource, but legal hurdles and political sensitivities have hindered exports to India.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
Hamilton tried to reassure him that his sensitivities on this score were excessive, that if he did choose to run for a third term, he would win in a walk.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
