sentient

American  

[sen-shuhnt, ‐shee-uhnt, ‐tee-uhnt] / ˈsɛn ʃənt, ‐ʃi ənt, ‐ti ənt /

adjective

1. having the power of perception by the senses; conscious.

2. characterized by sensation and consciousness.

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noun

1. a person or thing that is sentient.

2. Archaic. the conscious mind.

sentient British  

/ ˈsɛntɪənt /

adjective

1. having the power of sense perception or sensation; conscious

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noun

1. rare a sentient person or thing

Other Word Forms

• nonsentient adjective
• nonsentiently adverb
• sentiently adverb
• unsentient adjective
• unsentiently adverb

Etymology

Origin of sentient

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin sentient-, stem of sentiēns “feeling,” present participle of sentīre “to feel” sense ( def. )

Example Sentences

Researchers say the way to help humanity escape the Turing Trap is to make sure that chatbots don’t communicate as if they were sentient.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

I don’t see why any sentient person would watch one of these things unless they had to, or enjoyed pain.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 24, 2026

“This marks not just the next chapter, but the next book in SpaceX and xAI’s mission: scaling to make a sentient sun to understand the Universe and extend the light of consciousness to the stars!”

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026

Identifying which animals and systems are sentient could influence animal research practices, farming, food consumption, and conservation strategies.

From Science Daily • Feb. 1, 2026

It’s the fastest download ever, like it’s some sentient being who understands the whole point of its existence is that time is running out for someone.

From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera