sentient

adjective

sen·​tient ˈsen(t)-sh(ē-)ənt How to pronounce sentient (audio) ˈsen-tē-ənt How to pronounce sentient (audio)
Synonyms of sentientnext
1
: capable of sensing or feeling : conscious of or responsive to the sensations of seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, or smelling
sentient beings
Some among the group of potters … speak of the kiln as though it were sentient.—Barry Lopez
But the really intriguing question is a hypothetical one. What would Google's response be if it realised that it actually had a sentient machine on its hands?—John Naughton
But the terrible silence and emptiness seemed to symbolize her future—she felt as though the house, the street, the world were all empty, and she alone left sentient in a lifeless universe.—Edith Wharton
2
: aware
sentient of the danger posed by the approaching hurricane
But the strange thing is that a boy so sentient of his surroundings should have been so insensible to the real world about him.—W. A. White
3
: finely sensitive in perception or feeling
a sentient author with beautiful prose
As every sentient diplomat knows, diplomacy uses the reputation of power to achieve what power itself often cannot achieve, or can achieve only at greater and sometimes excessive cost.—Colin L. Powell
sentiently adverb

Did you know?

You may have guessed that sentient has something to do with the senses. The initial spelling sent- or sens- is often a giveaway for such a meaning. A sentient being is one who perceives or responds to sensations of whatever kind—sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell. Sentient ultimately comes from the Latin verb sentire, which means "to feel" or "to perceive." (The Latin noun sensus means "sense.") A few related English words that descend from the same Latin root are sentiment and sentimental, which have to do with emotions, sensual, which relates to more physical sensations, and the trio of assent, consent, and dissent, which involve expressions of agreement (or disagreement in the case of dissent) in thought and feeling with another.

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of sentient in a Sentence

sentient of the danger posed by the approaching hurricane
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And social drinking could be advantageous for sentient communities: Among our branch of the primates, anthropologists believe that social drinking helped facilitate, or even cause, the formation of the first cities. —Saul Elbein, The Hill, 30 Oct. 2024 Even the low-stakes stuff has impact, as when Kirie’s hair starts growing into sentient curls that refuse to be brushed straight. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2024 Adar believes that the orcs are not just sentient beings, who are capable of more than simply evil. —Christian Holub, EW.com, 4 Oct. 2024 Despite those blaring headlines, there isn’t any AI right now that is sentient. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sentient 

Word History

Etymology

Latin sentient-, sentiens, present participle of sentire to perceive, feel

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sentient was in 1604

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Dictionary Entries Near sentient

sentiendum

sentient

sentiment

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Sentient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sentient. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

sentient

adjective
sen·​tient ˈsen-ch(ē-)ənt How to pronounce sentient (audio)
1
: capable of sensing or feeling
sentient beings
2
: aware
sentient of one's surroundings

Medical Definition

sentient

adjective
sen·​tient ˈsen-ch(ē-)ənt How to pronounce sentient (audio) ˈsent-ē-ənt How to pronounce sentient (audio)
: responsive to or conscious of sense impressions
sentiently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on sentient

Nglish: Translation of sentient for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of sentient for Arabic Speakers

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