Word of the Day

: June 28, 2008

sentient

adjective SEN-shee-unt

What It Means

1 : responsive to or conscious of sense impressions

2 : aware

3 : finely sensitive in perception or feeling

sentient in Context

"Pets are sentient beings, just like you and me," explained Ted, "so it's important to treat them kindly."

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 and responds to sensations of whatever kind -- sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell. "Sentient" ultimately comes from the Latin verb "sentire," which means "to feel" and is related to the noun "sensus," meaning "feeling" or "sense." A few related English words are "sentiment" and "sentimental," which have to do with emotions, and "sensual," which relates to more physical "sensations."

*Indicates the sense illustrated by the example sentence.