adjective
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of or relating to the senses or the power of sensation
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of or relating to those processes and structures within an organism that receive stimuli from the environment and convey them to the brain
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sensory
Explanation
The adjective sensory describes something relating to sensation — something that you feel with your physical senses. Sticking a knife into a toaster will give you a sensory experience, but so will smelling a rose. Stick with the rose. Sensory comes from the Latin word sentire, meaning "to perceive, feel." Sampling your mom's blueberry pie is a sensory experience — you can smell it, you can taste it, and the crust has a really good texture. You may get sensory overload when you're in New York City because there's so much for your senses to take in. Sensory can also describe a nerve fiber, such as a sensory neuron, that carries impulses to the nerve centers in your body.
Vocabulary lists containing sensory
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 4
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ACT Vocabulary List
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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.
We store memories as a jumble of sensory fragments.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
So she traded the Instagram-worthy, slime-making and sensory bucket activities that required hours of prep and started enlisting her kids’ help with household chores and gardening.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
The result is a raucous, interactive, sensory overload.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Scientists have long understood how sensory receptors are arranged in the eyes, ears, and skin, and how those patterns connect to the brain.
From Science Daily • Apr. 30, 2026
The once overwhelming sensory overload of township life now seemed second nature to me.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
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.
