English Reference

Word

sense

US/ˈsɛns/

UK/sˈɛns/

Definitions

01biological perception

A2

n. one of the five ways you experience the world: sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch.

n. any of the physiological systems by which a living being perceives external or internal stimuli.

“Dogs have a much stronger sense of smell than humans do.”

“The loss of one's sense of taste can significantly impact appetite and overall quality of life during recovery from illness.”

02good judgment

B1

n. the ability to think clearly and make good decisions.

n. sound practical or moral judgment; the capacity for rational thought.

“It makes sense to bring an umbrella if the sky looks grey.”

“Common sense dictates that we should verify the credentials of the contractor before signing a long-term agreement.”

Antonyms

03meaning

B2

n. the specific meaning of a word or a phrase.

n. the particular meaning or significance of a word, expression, or passage.

“In this sentence, the word 'bank' is used in the sense of a river edge.”

“The poet uses the word in a highly metaphorical sense, challenging the reader to look beyond the literal definition.”

04awareness or feeling

B1

n. a general feeling or awareness about a situation.

n. a vague or intuitive awareness; a general impression or feeling.

“I had a sense that someone was watching me in the crowded station.”

“There was a growing sense of urgency among the staff as the deadline for the project approached.”

05mathematical direction

C1 · Math

n. the direction of a line or the way something rotates.

n. one of two opposite directions in which a vector may point or a rotation may occur.

“The wheels were spinning in a clockwise sense.”

“The vector maintains the same magnitude but changes its sense when multiplied by a negative scalar.”

Technical

06to feel or detect

B1

v. to feel or notice something without being told.

v. to perceive or become aware of something through the senses or intuition.

“Cats can often sense a storm coming before the rain starts.”

“The sophisticated equipment can sense even the slightest vibrations in the earth's crust.”

Antonyms

Etymology

From Middle English sense, from Old French sens, sen, san (“sense, perception, direction”); partly from Latin sēnsus (“sensation, feeling, meaning”), from sentiō (“feel, perceive”); partly of Germanic origin (whence also Occitan sen, Italian senno), from Vulgar Latin sennus (“sense, reason, way”), from Frankish sinn ("reason, judgement, mental faculty, way, direction"; whence also Dutch zin, German Sinn, Swedish sinne, Norwegian sinn). Both Latin and Germanic from Proto-Indo-European *sent- (“to feel”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Collocations

sense of belongingsense of securitysense of selfsense of humanity'sense of humorsense of safetysense of the worldsense to assume

Word family

Related words

Idioms

abound in one's own sense — To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.

come to one's senses — To reawaken after having lost consciousness.

good sense — Common sense; sensibleness.

knock some sense into — To reprimand or reform someone vigorously.

know someone in the biblical sense — To have sex with someone.

make sense — To be sensible, coherent, reasonable.

sense of craft — aptitude for craftsmanship.

take leave of one's senses — To go crazy; to stop behaving rationally.

Domain

Mathematics

This entry

Level
A2 · Elementary
Frequency
Very common
Updated

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