# sensitivity

/ˌsɛnsɪˈtɪvɪti/ (US) · /sˌɛnsɪtˈɪvɪti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sensitivity
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. emotional awareness

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- The manager showed great sensitivity when he spoke to the employee about her family problems.
- The diplomat handled the delicate negotiations with remarkable sensitivity, ensuring that neither party felt disrespected during the transition.

### 2. physical reaction

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- She has a strong sensitivity to sunlight and always wears a hat outside.
- Patients with a known sensitivity to penicillin must be monitored closely for adverse reactions during the initial phase of treatment.

### 3. technical precision

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

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

- The microphone has high sensitivity, so it can pick up even very quiet sounds.
- The laboratory upgraded its equipment to increase the sensitivity of the detection process, allowing for the identification of trace elements in the water supply.

### 4. statistical accuracy

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical · Academic

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

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

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

### 5. gaming control

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

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

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

- I had to lower my mouse sensitivity because the camera was moving too fast.
- Professional gamers often spend hours fine-tuning their controller sensitivity to find the perfect balance between speed and aiming precision.

## Examples

- The skin on your face has a high sensitivity to sunlight.
- The microphone has high sensitivity, so it picks up even the quietest background noises in the room.
- In clinical trials, the sensitivity of a diagnostic test determines its ability to correctly identify patients with the disease, thereby reducing the frequency of false negatives.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.