1
: a meaning conveyed or intended : import, signification
especially
: one of a set of meanings a word or phrase may bear especially as segregated in a dictionary entry
2
a
: the faculty of perceiving by means of sense organs
b
: a specialized function or mechanism (such as sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch) by which an animal receives and responds to external or internal stimuli
c
: the sensory mechanisms constituting a unit distinct from other functions (such as movement or thought)
3
: conscious awareness or rationality
—usually used in plural
finally came to his senses
4
a
: a particular sensation or kind or quality of sensation
a good sense of balance
b
: a definite but often vague awareness or impression
felt a sense of insecurity
a sense of danger
c
: a motivating awareness
a sense of shame
d
: a discerning awareness and appreciation
her sense of humor
5
: consensus
the sense of the meeting
6
a
: capacity for effective application of the powers of the mind as a basis for action or response : intelligence
b
: sound mental capacity and understanding typically marked by shrewdness and practicality
also
: agreement with or satisfaction of such power
this decision makes sense
7
: one of two opposite directions especially of motion (as of a point, line, or surface)
sensed; sensing
1
a
: to perceive by the senses (see sense entry 1 sense 2)
b
: to be or become conscious of
sense danger
2
: grasp, comprehend
3
: to detect automatically especially in response to a physical stimulus (such as light or movement)
Synonyms
Examples of sense in a Sentence
Noun
There is an unnerving sense now that technology is driving the culture rather than the reverse. Machines and sites and software are breeding at an exponential clip, and we hapless humans race around trying to adapt.
—
Steven Johnson, Discover, July 2006
The caricature of neurotic nuns who specialized in corporal punishment and guilt crumbles before the countless examples of women religious who made the difference in determining that a child would eat, or be safe, or have any sense of dignity at all.
—Luke Timothy Johnson, Commonweal, 22 Sept. 2006
Because Updike shrinks from giving any real credence to the ideology that drives his plot (in both senses of that word), the book becomes a temporarily enthralling, but ultimately empty shaggy dog story.
—Jonathan Raban, New York Review of Books, 13 July 2006
Less distinguished people experience a similar tangling of the senses, some reporting that they can taste the words they speak or see the colors of certain words or numbers. This confounding of perception—called synesthesia—was thought to affect at most about 4 percent of the population, but University College London psychologist Jamie Ward has uncovered the best evidence yet that we may all have a bit of synesthesia.
—Kathryn Garfield, Discover, December 2006
All of my senses were on the alert for danger.
We had a sense that something wasn't quite right.
His senses were clear despite his illness.
Verb
The latest feature on air conditioners is a big new plug to help prevent fires. The plug shuts down power when it senses that the air conditioner cord is damaged.
—Consumer Reports, July 2005
With very little provocation, magic might have been flying back and forth in an unpleasant and damaging manner. Sensing the danger, Kate stepped between them and raised her hands. "Let us have no more of this. There is a confusion to be cleared up, and I cannot do that in the middle of a brannigan," she said.
—John Morressy, Fantasy & Science Fiction, October/November 2004
In Pecnik, he had instantly sensed a kindred spirit. As a boy Pecnik had strapped homemade parachutes to hamsters and tossed them (without harm) from his sixth-story bedroom window; by the time he joined the Croatian national team he was making his own jumpsuits.
—William Speed Weed, Popular Science, July 2003
She immediately sensed my dislike.
A motion detector can sense movement.
Steven Johnson, Discover, July 2006
The caricature of neurotic nuns who specialized in corporal punishment and guilt crumbles before the countless examples of women religious who made the difference in determining that a child would eat, or be safe, or have any sense of dignity at all.
—Luke Timothy Johnson, Commonweal, 22 Sept. 2006
Because Updike shrinks from giving any real credence to the ideology that drives his plot (in both senses of that word), the book becomes a temporarily enthralling, but ultimately empty shaggy dog story.
—Jonathan Raban, New York Review of Books, 13 July 2006
Less distinguished people experience a similar tangling of the senses, some reporting that they can taste the words they speak or see the colors of certain words or numbers. This confounding of perception—called synesthesia—was thought to affect at most about 4 percent of the population, but University College London psychologist Jamie Ward has uncovered the best evidence yet that we may all have a bit of synesthesia.
—Kathryn Garfield, Discover, December 2006
All of my senses were on the alert for danger.
We had a sense that something wasn't quite right.
His senses were clear despite his illness.
Verb
The latest feature on air conditioners is a big new plug to help prevent fires. The plug shuts down power when it senses that the air conditioner cord is damaged.
—Consumer Reports, July 2005
With very little provocation, magic might have been flying back and forth in an unpleasant and damaging manner. Sensing the danger, Kate stepped between them and raised her hands. "Let us have no more of this. There is a confusion to be cleared up, and I cannot do that in the middle of a brannigan," she said.
—John Morressy, Fantasy & Science Fiction, October/November 2004
In Pecnik, he had instantly sensed a kindred spirit. As a boy Pecnik had strapped homemade parachutes to hamsters and tossed them (without harm) from his sixth-story bedroom window; by the time he joined the Croatian national team he was making his own jumpsuits.
—William Speed Weed, Popular Science, July 2003
She immediately sensed my dislike.
A motion detector can sense movement.
Recent Examples on the Web
Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
People were waiting for roughly an hour and a half, and parking was extremely limited; this created a sense of repressed frustration in the air.
—The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
Jesse Pound, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
Even Juan Hernandez of Santa Clara, whose nose was broken by protesters while attending the 2016 Trump rally in his MAGA hat, senses a deeper animosity now than eight years ago.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sense 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
The design will focus on early Santa Clara canning days, with Ainsley Family memorabilia to give it a sense of history.
—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
People were waiting for roughly an hour and a half, and parking was extremely limited; this created a sense of repressed frustration in the air.
—The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
Policy changes from the SEC are hard to predict, but the ETF industry appears to sense an opening to push new types of products.
—Jesse Pound, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
Even Juan Hernandez of Santa Clara, whose nose was broken by protesters while attending the 2016 Trump rally in his MAGA hat, senses a deeper animosity now than eight years ago.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sense
Dictionary Entries Near sense
Cite this Entry
“Sense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sense. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sense
1 of 2 noun1
: a meaning or one of a set of meanings a word, phrase, or story may have
2
a
: the power to become aware of by means of sense organs
b
: a specialized function or mechanism (as sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch) of the body that involves the action and effect of a stimulus on a sense organ
the pain sense
3
a
: a particular sensation or kind of sensation
a good sense of balance
b
: awareness arrived at through or as if through the senses
a vague sense of danger
c
: an awareness and appreciation of something
a fine sense of humor
4
b
: good reason or excuse
no sense in waiting
sense
2 of 2 verb
sensed; sensing
1
: to become aware of through the senses
2
: to be or become conscious of
sense danger
3
: to detect automatically especially in response to a physical quantity (as light or movement)
Medical Definition
sense
1 of 2 noun1
a
: the faculty of perceiving by means of sense organs
b
: a specialized function or mechanism (as sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch) by which an animal receives and responds to external or internal stimuli
c
: the sensory mechanisms constituting a unit distinct from other functions (as movement or thought)
2
: a particular sensation or kind or quality of sensation
a good sense of balance
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