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

Is it wrong to assume we’re the only sentient beings?

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 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 MarketWatch • Feb. 2, 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

“I’m not! And it’d be one thing if the badger were good company. But Captain, even though you’re incapable of sentient thought or speech, you make for better conversation than that squashed skunk.”

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman