sensitization
Americannoun
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the state or process of being sensitized.
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Psychology. the process of becoming susceptible to a given stimulus that previously had no effect or significance.
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Immunology.
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a state or condition in which a previously encountered foreign substance triggers an immune reaction.
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an immunologic state or condition that is evidenced by the acquired ability of a cell or individual to detect the presence of a foreign substance upon reexposure to the substance and to react immunologically.
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sensitization
Explanation
Feeling more sensitive these days? It might be the result of sensitization, the process of making someone react to something that previously had no effect. The noun sensitization is formed from the verb sensitize, which in turn comes from the adjective sensitive, meaning "capable of sensation." In psychology talk, a person might develop a sensitization from an emotional situation. For example, a child who is verbally bullied on a regular basis might, through constant fear of attack, develop a sensitization toward other children and become more withdrawn.
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.
Possible reasons for both include low vitamin D status, lack of immune system challenges due to being overly "clean", heightened sensitization due to allergen avoidance, and more frequent antibiotic use.
From Salon ● May 9, 2024
About eight years ago, I was actually making a different film following the work of the Center for Health and Social Justice, an organization that works on gender sensitization programs for men and boys.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2024
Additional analysis also identified peanut and shrimp sensitization as significant risk factors for cardiovascular death in those individuals who routinely ate them.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2023
Habituation and sensitization are types of so-called nonassociative learning, as they don’t require connections between two different stimulus types in order to generate a response.
From Science Magazine ● Sep. 22, 2023
Foreign protein sensitization or anaphylaxis was the basis of Dr. Rutledge's coup.
From The Sword and the Atopen by Greenfield, Taylor H.
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.
