sapient

[ sey-pee-uhnt ]
See synonyms for: sapientsapience on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. having or showing great wisdom or sound judgment.

  2. having or showing self-awareness: sapient life forms.

Origin of sapient

1
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English sapyent, from Latin sapient- (stem of sapiēns, present participle of sapere “to be wise,” literally, “to taste, have taste”), equivalent to sapi- verb stem + -ent- adjective suffix; see -ent

Other words from sapient

  • sa·pi·ence, sa·pi·en·cy, noun
  • sa·pi·ent·ly, adverb
  • un·sa·pi·ent, adjective
  • un·sa·pi·ent·ly, adverb

Words Nearby sapient

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sapient in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sapient

sapient

/ (ˈseɪpɪənt) /


adjective
  1. often ironic wise or sagacious

Origin of sapient

1
C15: from Latin sapere to taste

Derived forms of sapient

  • sapience, noun
  • sapiently, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012