sensitive

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(sĕn'sĭ-tĭv) pronunciation
adj.
  1. Capable of perceiving with a sense or senses.
  2. Responsive to external conditions or stimulation.
  3. Susceptible to the attitudes, feelings, or circumstances of others.
  4. Quick to take offense; touchy.
  5. Easily irritated: sensitive skin.
  6. Readily altered by the action of an agent: film that is sensitive to light.
  7. Registering very slight differences or changes of condition. Used of an instrument.
  8. Fluctuating or tending to fluctuate, as in price: sensitive stocks.
  9. Of or relating to classified information: sensitive defense data; holds a sensitive position in the State Department.
n.
  1. A sensitive person.
  2. One held to be endowed with psychic or occult powers.

[Middle English, from Old French sensitif, from Medieval Latin sēnsitīvus, from Latin sēnsus, sense. See sense.]

sensitively sen'si·tive·ly adv.
sensitiveness sen'si·tive·ness n.

Requiring controls on disclosure. Medical records, for example, include sensitive data. In risk analysis, one classifies data by the degree of sensitivity and criticality. See critical and sanitize.

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adjective

  1. Able to receive and respond to external stimuli: impressible, impressionable, responsive, sensible, sentient, susceptible, susceptive. See awareness/unawareness.
  2. Of or relating to sensation or the senses: sensational, sensorial, sensory, sensual, sensuous. See awareness/unawareness, body/spirit.
  3. Possessing or displaying perceptions of great accuracy and sensitivity: acute, incisive, keen1, penetrating, perceptive, probing, sharp, trenchant. See careful/careless, sharp/dull.
  4. Readily stirred by emotion: emotional, feeling. See feelings.
  5. Showing sensitivity and skill in dealing with others: delicate, diplomatic, discreet, politic, tactful. See ability/inability.
  6. Requiring great tact or skill: delicate, ticklish, touch-and-go, touchy, tricky. See easy/hard.

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adj

Definition: easily hurt
Antonyms: heartless, indifferent, insensitive, numb, thick-skinned, unfeeling

adj

Definition: impressionable
Antonyms: impassive, impervious, insensitive, thick-skinned, unsusceptible

adj. requiring special protection from disclosure that could cause embarrassment, compromise, or threat to the security of the sponsoring power. The term may be applied to an agency, installation, person, position, document, material, or activity.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

The term "sensitive," often interchangeable with "psychic," refers to a person with psychic powers, but eschews communication with the dead. A sensitive is thus distinguished from the "medium," or "channel." A medium is usually also a sensitive. According to Spiritualism, a medium is not necessarily a sensitive but may be simply an instrument for spirit communication. (It must be remembered that such a distinction was made in the days in which may "mediums" accepted by the movement were frauds. This distinction explained why they made no pretense of being "psychic" except in the séance room.)

Sensitives ordinarily believe that their psychic abilities are a natural ability that they possess to a greater degree than most, either through natural endowment or a process of psychic development. Many believe in reincarnation, a belief that is often incompatible with Spiritualist contact with the dead, and they may explain many events (such as seeing an apparition) that Spiritualists ascribe to spirit agency to memories from previous lives. Sensitives may specialize in one form of psychic ability, be it psychometry, precognition, telepathy, or clairvoyance. Many emerge as healers with some ability in psychokinesis.

During the nineteenth century, prior to the rise of Spiritualism, German scientist Baron Karl von Reichenbach conducted numerous experiments with "sensitives" in order to validate his concept of a mysterious vital force in nature which he termed "od" or "odyle." These individuals, drawn from all walks of life, were selected on the basis of specific sensitive reactions— feelings of pleasant coolness or alternatively disagreeable feelings in relation to other people or to metals, as well as reactions to colors and foods.

Sources:

Reichenbach, Karl von. Der sensitive Mensch und sein Verhalten zum Ode (The sensitive man and his relation to od). 2 vols. Stuttgart and Tübingen, 1854-55.

(DOD) Requiring special protection from disclosure that could cause embarrassment, compromise, or threat to the security of the sponsoring power. May be applied to an agency, installation, person, position, document, material, or activity.


A term used to describe a plant or plant part that responds to touch. The carnivorous plants that trap insects that land on them are an (extreme) example. The sensitive plant, Mimosa pudica, is another.

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sign description: The touch finger makes a flicking motion off the chest.




1. able to receive or respond to stimuli.
2. unusually responsive to stimulation, or responding quickly and acutely.

  • s. vessel syndrome — temporary engorgement of conjunctival blood vessels in the absence of disease. Seen most commonly in small dogs and cats.
(sen′sitiv)
adj

Able to receive or transmit a sensation; capable of feeling or responding to a sensation.

Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'sensitive'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to sensitive, see:

  See crossword solutions for the clue Sensitive.
Translations:

Sensitive

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Dansk (Danish)
adj. - følsom, modtagelig, sensitiv, ømfindtlig, sart, nærtagende, udtryksfuld, sanse-
n. - en person eller ting som er sensitiv

Nederlands (Dutch)
gevoelig, fijngevoelig, attent

Français (French)
adj. - sensible, (fig) sensible, susceptible, fin, délicat, difficile, confidentiel
n. - sensibilité

Deutsch (German)
adj. - sensibel, empfindlich, einfühlsam
n. - sensible Person, leicht hypnotisierbarer Mensch, Medium

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - ευαίσθητος, εύθικτος, αισθαντικός, εκλεπτυσμένος, ευπαθής, (καθομ.) άκρως απόρρητος (φάκελος)

Italiano (Italian)
sensibile

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - sensitivo

Русский (Russian)
чувствительный, впечатлительный, ранимый, щепетильный, восприимчивый, секретный, телепат, медиум

Español (Spanish)
adj. - sensible, susceptible, inestable
n. - sensible, susceptible, inestable

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - känslig, mottaglig, ömtålig, sensitiv, öm, utsatt

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
敏感的, 神经过敏的, 易受伤害的, 易怒的, 感官感受能力强的人

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 敏感的, 神經過敏的, 易受傷害的, 易怒的
n. - 感官感受能力強的人

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 민감한, 느끼기 쉬운, 미묘한
n. - 민감한 사람, 최면술에 잘 걸리는 사람, 영매

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 敏感な, 感受性の強い, 神経過敏な, 感光性の, 高感度の

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) بالغ ألدقه, رقيق ألشعور, حساس,‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮רגיש, פגיע, מהיר להיעלב, עדין, כמוס, ביטחוני‬
n. - ‮אדם רגיש, פגיע וכו'‬


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