What does "sensitivity" mean?

1. (emotional awareness) the ability to understand other people's feelings and be kind to them. 2. (physical reaction) the quality of being easily affected or hurt by things like light, heat, or certain foods. 3. (technical precision) how well a piece of equipment or a test can detect small changes or signals. 4. (statistical accuracy) the ability of a test to correctly identify people who have a specific condition. 5. (gaming control) how fast your character moves on the screen when you move your mouse or controller.

sensitivity

US //ˌsɛnsɪˈtɪvɪti// UK //sˌɛnsɪtˈɪvɪti// sen·si·tiv·i·ty

1 emotional awareness (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the ability to understand other people's feelings and be kind to them.

the capacity for empathy and awareness regarding the feelings or needs of others.

Example

The manager showed great sensitivity when he spoke to the employee about her family problems.

Example

The diplomat handled the delicate negotiations with remarkable sensitivity, ensuring that neither party felt disrespected during the transition.
- insensitivity
- indifference
2 physical reaction (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

the quality of being easily affected or hurt by things like light, heat, or certain foods.

the state of being physically responsive to external stimuli, often resulting in discomfort or a specific biological reaction.

Example

She has a strong sensitivity to sunlight and always wears a hat outside.

Example

Patients with a known sensitivity to penicillin must be monitored closely for adverse reactions during the initial phase of treatment.
- reactivity
- susceptibility
- immunity
- resistance

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3 technical precision (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Science

how well a piece of equipment or a test can detect small changes or signals.

the degree to which a measuring instrument or sensor responds to changes in input signals.

Example

The microphone has high sensitivity, so it can pick up even very quiet sounds.

Example

The laboratory upgraded its equipment to increase the sensitivity of the detection process, allowing for the identification of trace elements in the water supply.
- precision
- accuracy
4 statistical accuracy (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Academic Medicine

the ability of a test to correctly identify people who have a specific condition.

the probability that a binary classification test will correctly identify a true positive.

Example

The new virus test has 99% sensitivity, meaning it rarely misses a positive case.

Example

While the screening tool demonstrated high sensitivity in clinical trials, its low specificity resulted in a significant number of false positives among the general population.
- true positive rate
- specificity
5 gaming control (n.)
B1 Intermediate Informal Computing

how fast your character moves on the screen when you move your mouse or controller.

the ratio of in-game camera or cursor movement relative to the physical movement of an input device.

Example

I had to lower my mouse sensitivity because the camera was moving too fast.

Example

Professional gamers often spend hours fine-tuning their controller sensitivity to find the perfect balance between speed and aiming precision.
- responsiveness

Origin

From sensitive + -ity.

Word family

Nounhypersensitivity
Nounsensitivity