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sen·si·tive (sns-tv)
adjective
1. Capable of perceiving with a sense or senses.
2. Responsive to external conditions or stimulation.
3. Susceptible to the attitudes, feelings, or circumstances of others.
4. Quick to take offense; touchy.
5. Easily irritated: sensitive skin.
6. Readily altered by the action of an agent: film that is sensitive to light.
7. Registering very slight differences or changes of condition. Used
of an instrument.
8. Fluctuating or tending to fluctuate, as in price: sensitive stocks.
9. Of or relating to classified information: sensitive defense data;
holds a sensitive position in the State Department.
noun
1. A sensitive person.
2. One held to be endowed with psychic or occult powers.
[Middle English, from Old French sensitif, from Medieval Latin
snsitvus, from Latin snsus, sense; see sense.]
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sensitive [ˈsɛnsɪtɪv]
adjective
1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Physiology) having the power
of sensation
2. responsive to or aware of feelings, moods, reactions, etc.
3. easily irritated; delicate sensitive skin
4. affected by external conditions or stimuli
5. easily offended
6. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Physiology) of or relating
to the senses or the power of sensation
7. capable of registering small differences or changes in amounts,
quality, etc. a sensitive instrument
8. (Miscellaneous Technologies / Photography) Photog having a high
sensitivity a sensitive emulsion
9. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) connected with matters affecting
national security, esp through access to classified information
10. (Economics, Accounting & Finance / Stock Exchange) (Business /
Commerce) (of a stock market or prices) quickly responsive to external
influences and thus fluctuating or tending to fluctuate
[from Medieval Latin sēnsitīvus, from Latin sentīre to feel]
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noun
1. sensitive - someone who serves as an intermediary between the
living and the dead; "he consulted several mediums"
spiritualist, medium
psychic - a person apparently sensitive to things beyond the natural
range of perception
adjective
1. sensitive - responsive to physical stimuli; "a mimosa's leaves are
sensitive to touch"; "a sensitive voltmeter"; "sensitive skin";
"sensitive to light"
responsive - readily reacting or replying to people or events or
stimuli; showing emotion; "children are often the quickest and most
responsive members of the audience"
sensible, sensitive - able to feel or perceive; "even amoeba are
sensible creatures"; "the more sensible parts of the skin"
susceptible - (often followed by `of' or `to') yielding readily to or
capable of; "susceptible to colds"; "susceptible of proof"
insensitive - not responsive to physical stimuli; "insensitive to radiation"
2. sensitive - being susceptible to the attitudes, feelings, or
circumstances of others; "sensitive to the local community and its
needs"
responsive - readily reacting or replying to people or events or
stimuli; showing emotion; "children are often the quickest and most
responsive members of the audience"
insensitive - deficient in human sensibility; not mentally or morally
sensitive; "insensitive to the needs of the patients"
3. sensitive - able to feel or perceive; "even amoeba are sensible
creatures"; "the more sensible parts of the skin" sensible
aware, cognisant, cognizant - (sometimes followed by `of') having or
showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception; "was
aware of his opponent's hostility"; "became aware of her
surroundings"; "aware that he had exceeded the speed limit"
conscious - knowing and perceiving; having awareness of surroundings
and sensations and thoughts; "remained conscious during the
operation"; "conscious of his faults"; "became conscious that he was
being followed"
sensitive - responsive to physical stimuli; "a mimosa's leaves are
sensitive to touch"; "a sensitive voltmeter"; "sensitive skin";
"sensitive to light"
4. sensitive - hurting; "the tender spot on his jaw" sore, tender, raw
painful - causing physical or psychological pain; "worked with painful slowness"
5. sensitive - of or pertaining to classified information or matters
affecting national security
classified - official classification of information or documents;
withheld from general circulation; "thousands of classified documents
have now been declassified"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton
University, Farlex Inc.
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sensitive
adjective
1. thoughtful, kind, understanding, feeling, kindly, concerned,
patient, responsive, intuitive, receptive, attentive, perceptive,
considerate, tactful, unselfish He was always so sensitive and caring.
2. delicate, tender, fragile, raw, painful, sore, easily damaged
gentle cosmetics for sensitive skin
3. susceptible to, vulnerable to, responsive to, reactive to,
sensitized to, easily affected by My eyes are overly sensitive to
bright light.
4. touchy, defensive, paranoid, neurotic, uptight (informal), twitchy
(informal), chippy (informal), thin-skinned, oversensitive, easily
upset, easily offended, hyper-sensitive, easily hurt, umbrageous
(rare) Young people are very sensitive about their appearance.
touchy tough, insensitive, callous, hard, hardened, uncaring,
thick-skinned, unfeeling
5. tricky, difficult, delicate, thorny, touchy, ticklish Employment is
a very sensitive issue.
6. secret, private, confidential, classified, hush-hush (informal) He
instructed staff to shred sensitive documents.
7. precise, fine, acute, keen, responsive, perceptive an extremely
sensitive microscope
precise imprecise, inexact, approximate, unperceptive
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged
2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
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