sensitivesen‧si‧tive /ˈsensətɪv/ ●●○ S3 W3 adjective 
a sensitive and intelligent young mansensitive to It’s made me much more sensitive to the needs of the disabled.2easily offended easily upset or offended by events or things that people say: a very sensitive childsensitive about Laura’s sensitive about her weight.sensitive to Throughout her career she remained very sensitive to criticism.sensitive soul British English (=someone who is easily upset by small or unimportant things) → hypersensitive3easily affected easily affected or damaged by something such as a substance or temperature: Wetlands are environmentally sensitive areas. a baby’s sensitive skinsensitive to Older people tend to be very sensitive to cold. Increasing numbers of people are sensitive to cow’s milk.4situation/subject a situation or subject that is sensitive needs to be dealt with very carefully, because it is secret or because it may offend people: Abortion is a very sensitive issue. sensitive matters such as national security highly sensitive information► see thesaurus at secret5reacting to changes reacting to very small changes in light, temperature, position etc: a highly sensitive electronic cameralight-sensitive/heat-sensitive etc light-sensitive photographic paper6art/music etc able to understand or express yourself through art, music, literature etc: a very sensitive performance—sensitively adverb: It is an issue which needs to be handled sensitively.
WORD ORIGINsensitive
Origin:
1300-1400 Old French sensitif, from Medieval Latin sensitivus, from Latin sensus; ➔ SENSE1EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a sensitive musician
- A teenager used his personal computer to break into sensitive US Air Force files.
- He's sensitive about his bad teeth, so try not to look at them.
- I didn't realize that Lee was so sensitive about her family.
- If you are a public figure you can't afford to be too sensitive to criticism.
- Joel is such a sensitive boy.
- My brother pretends he's tough, but he's actually pretty sensitive.
- My children are very sensitive about being treated in a patronising way.
- Paul is too sensitive for this job. He can't take even the smallest criticism.
- Tell me if any of these spots are sensitive.
- The administration claims that the documents contain information of a highly sensitive political nature.
- The minister admitted that highly sensitive documents had been leaked to the press.
- The team is gathering information on the sensitive subject of child abuse.
- This is a very sensitive recorder - it picks up every word you say.
- Underneath all that macho stuff, he's really a sensitive guy.
- Your competitors may have access to the company intranet, so never discuss commercially sensitive issues on-line.
- I knew we were on sensitive territory.
- In summary, increasing evidence from many studies has pointed to a sensitive period that is significant to the bonding experience.
- It is very sensitive to calcium and does not do well in alkaline or hard water.
- Some people are just much more sensitive and perceptive in transmitting or receiving data than others.
- The dark, clean-shaven face was strong and proud, the mouth firm yet sensitive.
- They are fit for any tank and, not being sensitive even to temperature variations, are suitable plants for beginners.
- They would not explode for a rabbit or fox, but were sensitive enough for a human body.
- When it comes to broaching the subject I don't think there's any sensitive way to do it.
THESAURUS
known about by only a few people, who have agreed not to tell anyone else: · a secret meeting place· The details of the proposal must remain secret.
used about information, especially in business or government, that is secret and not intended to be shown or told to other people: · a highly confidential report· Employees’ personal details are treated as strictly confidential.
used about information that the government has ordered to be kept secret from most people: · He was accused of passing on classified information to the Russians in the 1950s.
used about information that is kept secret because there would be problems if the wrong people knew it: · A teenager managed to hack into sensitive US Air Force files.
[only before noun] used about things that are done secretly, especially by a government or official organization: · a CIA covert operation
[usually before noun] used about things that are done secretly by the police in order to catch criminals or find out information: · Detectives arrested the suspect after a five-day undercover operation.
an underground organization or newspaper is one that operates or is produced secretly and opposes the government: · Her father was a member of the underground resistance movement in France during World War II.
secret and often illegal or immoral: · clandestine meetings· his involvement in a clandestine operation to sell arms to Iran· a clandestine love affair
informal used about information or activities that are kept officially secret: · He was put in charge of some hush-hush military project.· I’ve no idea what he does – it’s all very hush-hush.
Longman Language Activatora situation that is difficult to deal with or talk about a difficult situation or subject is not easy to deal with or talk about, and it makes you feel nervous or unhappy: · Things at home have been very difficult since my father died.be in a difficult position (=to have problems that are difficult to deal with): · Officials say they are in the difficult position of having to implement a law they strongly disagree with.
an awkward situation or subject is difficult to deal with or talk about, especially because it might be embarrassing: · He's at an age when kids start asking awkward questions - like 'Where do babies come from?'
a tricky situation is one that you have to deal with very carefully, because there are a lot of things that could easily go wrong: · Teachers often have to deal with tricky situations such as interviews with angry parents.it could/would be tricky to do something: · It would be very tricky to try to stabilize the region without the support of other countries.
a delicate matter, subject, situation etc is one that you must be very careful talking about or dealing with because you risk offending or upsetting people: · I am seeking your professional advice on a very delicate matter.· Madeline was wondering how to approach the delicate question of her salary with her new boss.
something that is sensitive , such as a political or social problem or a document, is likely to cause trouble or be likely to upset someone: · The team is gathering information on the sensitive subject of child abuse.· The administration claims that the documents contain information of a highly sensitive political nature.
a touchy subject or situation is one that you must be very careful talking about or dealing with because you risk upsetting or offending someone: · Until now both candidates have avoided talking about the touchy subject of health care reform.
informal a political problem that is very difficult for the government to deal with because there is a lot of disagreement about it: · Fortunately for the government, this issue has drawn attention away from the hot potato of funding the London Underground.
easily offended · Be careful what you say to Jenny; she's oversensitive and easily offended.be/get easily offended by · Barry gets easily offended by comments about his parents' divorce.
too easily offended, especially so that people are afraid to talk to you, or offer advice: · Some authors get very touchy if you make even the slightest alteration to their work.· Why are you so touchy today?touchy about: · He's a great manager, but he is very touchy about his lack of qualifications.
very easily offended by a particular thing: · Paul is too sensitive for this job. He can't take even the smallest criticism.sensitive about: · He's sensitive about his bad teeth, so try not to look at them.· My children are very sensitive about being treated in a patronising way.
someone who is easily offended by anything that is rude or connected with sex, especially in a way that other people think is unnecessary: · Sarah's no prude, but she thought some of the sex scenes were quite shocking.
someone who is over-sensitive gets offended and upset very easily, because they always think other people are criticizing them, making fun of them etc: · It's not unusual for artists to be over-sensitive about their work.· Of course he wasn't saying you were overweight - you're just being over-sensitive.
secret information/plans/places/activities if something is secret , not many people know about it, and they agree not to tell anyone else about it: · The letter was written in a secret code.· Secret documents containing details of Britain's defence plans have been stolen.· The president's schedule is secret, but there is speculation that he will visit UN troops in the area.remain/stay secret: · I hope you see how vital it is that our conversation remains secret.top secret (=when an official document, piece of information etc is very secret): · The experiments were top secret.secret ballot (=a secret vote): · The Leader of the House will be selected by secret ballot.
confidential information is known only by a few official people, and must not be told to anyone else, for example because it contains military secrets or private details about people: · We hold confidential records on each employee.· Always protect confidential files by locking them with a password.· An employee secretly gave confidential memos to the press.highly confidential (=very confidential): · The information we received is of a highly confidential nature and relates to national security.
classified information or documents are ones that the government has ordered to be kept secret: · There is evidence that Huang had access to classified information.· Only licensed companies are eligible to receive, store, or send classified material.
information or documents that are sensitive are likely to cause problems or embarrassment if they are made public and therefore they are kept secret: · A teenager used his personal computer to break into sensitive US Air Force files. · Your competitors may have access to the company intranet, so never discuss commercially sensitive issues on-line.highly sensitive: · The minister admitted that highly sensitive documents had been leaked to the press.
done secretly, especially by a government or official organization, often involving breaking the law: · The chief investigator resigned, amid allegations of covert and probably illegal operations.· The abuse of residents in the home was confirmed by covert video surveillance.
working secretly - use this about the activities of the police, the army etc: · Six members of a drug-smuggling gang were arrested after an 18-month undercover police operation.· The unit is equipped to deal with a variety of situations, including undercover surveillance.
if something is veiled , cloaked , or shrouded in secrecy , very little is known about it and it seems very mysterious: · In Japan, the private lives of the Emperor and his family were once veiled in secrecy.· The President's exact itinerary was cloaked in secrecy for security reasons.· This ground-breaking work is shrouded in secrecy on the instruction of the company's lawyers.
informal kept officially secret: · His death was really hush-hush. It was so covered up that you wondered if it wasn't a suicide.· 'The Manhattan Project' was the insiders' name for the hush-hush project.
use this about methods and activities that involve a lot of secrecy, especially when this seems unnecessary: · He was arrested after a cloak-and-dagger operation involving the CIA and MI6.
getting upset easily · My brother pretends he's tough, but he's actually pretty sensitive.sensitive about · I didn't realize that Lee was so sensitive about her family.sensitive to criticism · If you are a public figure you can't afford to be too sensitive to criticism.
use this about someone who you think gets upset too easily: · When I complain about the mean things he says, he just tells me I'm being oversensitive.· Overly sensitive children have trouble making friends with other children.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY highly sensitive information a highly sensitive electronic camera light-sensitive photographic paperCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES He is really quite a sensitive soul.
British English (=someone who is easily upset by small or unimportant things)
highly sensitive information a highly sensitive electronic camera light-sensitive photographic paper (=to react to criticism, often in a bad way)· He was highly sensitive to criticism in the press.
(=having a nervous etc character) The film is not suitable for people of a nervous disposition.
The film is not suitable for people of a nervous disposition. (=an issue that causes strong feelings and arguments)· Abortion is a controversial issue.
(=becoming red or sore easily)· Special shampoos are available for those with sensitive skin.
He is really quite a sensitive soul. (=one that people may get upset about)· Steer clear of complicated issues or sensitive subjects.
(=one that must be dealt with very carefully, because it may offend people)· It is unusual for a judge to speak publicly about a sensitive topic such as religion.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· Every pore of his skin felt aware, as sensitive as it did after the luxury of a hot bath.· She wondered if they would be as sensitive on her skin as they looked.· The monoclonal antibody that we used is as sensitive to halofantrine as to its main metabolite, whose half-life exceeds 3 days.· Government grants were available in cases where rail would keep lorries off roads regarded as sensitive.· People who don't have a weight problem may simply not be as sensitive to these shifts.· Even Howie can't stand Stonehenge, and Howie's about as sensitive as the fire back.· She was becoming almost as sensitive to him as she had been all those years ago.· Indeed, how you measure something as sensitive as intelligence poses problems.
· Five of the dales of the Yorkshire Dales National Park have been designated as environmentally sensitive areas.· Mark Foley, R-Fla., that would earmark $ 210 million to purchase environmentally sensitive areas near the Everglades.· It is significant that such a mainstream and commercial manufacturer is hoping to launch an environmentally sensitive label.· The extension would provide workings for a further 25 years in the heart of an environmentally sensitive area.· They painted samples in an exercise designed to produce a better understanding of the Ecotech concept of more environmentally sensitive products.· For those times it was an environmentally sensitive organisation.· We will create new incentives to follow environmentally sensitive strategies and behaviour.· Proposals I announced last month to create 12 new environmentally sensitive areas will more than treble the area covered.
· In fact the water authorities are especially sensitive to criticism in the media.· Honda uses great care to make the goals reasonable and attainable, and the top leaders are especially sensitive in that regard.· Teenagers are said to be especially sensitive to the financial implications and aware of their own lack of power in the matter.· J., journalists are especially sensitive to charges of brutality by sports stars.· Some playing positions are prone to collide with a Floyd's fine tuning system and this one seems to be especially sensitive.· You might also want to protect especially sensitive vegetation with plastic.· Infant mortality is frequently assumed to be an especially sensitive indicator of severe poverty.
· It goes without saying that any infringements of these new restrictions will imperil what is already an extremely sensitive access agreement.· The Arizona players are extremely sensitive on the talent-gap issue, especially when reminded of it by Tucson columnist Greg Hansen.· Earthworms have extremely sensitive skins and can not thrive under acid conditions.· This is a little girl who is extremely sensitive to touch; she feels fragile, thin-skinned, easily breakable herself.· All osmotic pressure measurements are extremely sensitive to temperature and must be carried out under rigorously controlled temperature conditions.· As more species of life are slowly added to the embryonic aquarium, the water becomes extremely sensitive to vicious cycles.· It was an extremely sensitive matter, they were told.· It was, moreover, an accusation to which its adherents in the Royal Society were extremely sensitive.
· We need to be aware, however, that the school environment is a delicate ecosystem, highly sensitive to political whim.· Managers need to handle highly sensitive direct contacts with clients.· Such a condition also makes living organisms highly sensitive to their environment, reflecting the characteristics of mind and consciousness themselves.· Holystone and Desktop, for instance, designate several highly sensitive undersea operations.· For Tod is highly sensitive to this material.· Unlike the highly sensitive child, the defiant child has some physical characteristics that make a more aggressive approach possible.· Hence, the blind person may develop a superb sense of smell or highly sensitive hearing.· Infants are highly sensitive to the quality of adult attention.
· There: people said this and that about him, but no one knew how sensitive he was, how kind.· Events in the United States fourteen years later showed how sensitive the country was to Ameri-can casualties.· His acute sense of observation was remarkable, and his pictures show how sensitive he was to his surroundings.· This would depend on just how sensitive the child is and how her nervous system compensates for her sensitivity.· Notice how sensitive the board is to weight movements the further back you step.· The book also shows how sensitive preparations and aftercare can help ministers overcome some of the difficulties of a funeral.· This analysis shows how sensitive these measures are to varying assumptions about unemployment and female labour for Participation.· The third aim of the project concerns accuracy analysis: how sensitive to data revisions are standard tests of forecasting accuracy?
· As age increases, the inner ear becomes less sensitive to high frequencies.· Sometimes a self-absorbed child is less sensitive visually as well.· Those higher doses, in turn, lead to even less sensitive synapses.· Teeth usually become less sensitive as their nerve and blood supply decreases.· The match angler's fixed link-leger is less sensitive than a fixed paternoster as can be appreciated by studying Fig. 1.· Patients became less sensitive to the drug.· Waste exporters are now seeking less sensitive areas.· The performance aspirations of any single breakthrough team were far less sensitive to interdependency.
· To experience something, ourselves, is to make us more sensitive to the needs and wants of others.· This new reality helped engender a more sensitive ecclesial approach to the plight of Catholics in broken marriages.· Cattle stealing was more sensitive to economic fluctuations in the twentieth century than it had been earlier.· Yields of shorter-term notes, which are more sensitive to overnight rates set by the Fed, fell more.· Some people are just much more sensitive and perceptive in transmitting or receiving data than others.· Dennis is probably more sensitive to age-related remarks than most of us.· His explanation should have been more sensitive to the interplay between local and national democratic influences on the policing of industrial disputes.· Its a lot more sensitive than that.
· The synthesis of modifications in the anticodon stem and loop were shown to be the most sensitive ones.· But how could he bear to strike that most sensitive part of himself in the process?· Writers are among the most sensitive, the most intellectually anarchic, most representative, most probing of artists.· Many of the most sensitive writers and artists of that period denounced the factories and the cities that sprawled out around them.· It's designed to protect and soothe even the most sensitive male skins and prices start at £2.45.· Dole, to his credit, has repeatedly declined to play politics in the most sensitive diplomatic areas.· The announcement will cause concern in the Middle East, where water is one of the most sensitive strategic issues.· In the most sensitive cases yields were reduced by 1 percent for every 1 percent cut in the ozone layer.
· There may also be a deep sense of insecurity about venturing off one's own academic patch which makes people particularly sensitive.· It is there-fore not surprising that during this time the Carleton community was particularly sensitive to sexist behavior.· Thirdly, its equilibrium solubility is particularly sensitive to temperature, reaching a maximum at 32.3°C.· The person will have a high level of emotional arousal and be particularly sensitive to social influences which can affect arousal.· This is a particularly sensitive area and care should be taken to reveal no more than is necessary.· These initiation sites may represent areas containing calcium stores that are particularly sensitive to activators such as InsP 3.· Jack de Bie's playing is rhythmically alive, thoughtful and passionate as required, with some particularly sensitive pedalling in evidence.· Young children seem to have been particularly sensitive to the Windscale accident.
· As with advocacy, this requires clarity of thought and an ability to think quickly, in a politically sensitive environment.· State-owned enterprises are believed to face pressures to select profit-reducing choices where, for example, price rises are politically sensitive.· The Senate move was part of a broader bipartisan agreement on how the politically sensitive investigation will proceed.· One application for the X-ray destruction method could be in the politically sensitive area of destroying chemical weapons.· What Clinton did with the veterans' budget illustrates the dilemma the White House faces with many politically sensitive constituencies.· It may entail an obligation to obey certain of the more politically sensitive laws.
· But Alain, he is so sensitive, he has taken the affair to heart.· Why should the Church feel so sensitive about its Black Virgins?· For example, the power controls can be so sensitive that heat can be regulated by degree.· He loved to play with trucks and cars and he was so sensitive to the other kids.· The issue was so sensitive, he argued, that there should be a cross-party agreement.· Because this child is so sensitive to feelings of embarrassment and humiliation, his needs must be respected.· The reason they do not like it is that they are so sensitive about it.· Summerlee had found an electric probe so sensitive it could detect the passage of a single electron.
· He listens attentively as questions are translated, chooses words carefully and dismisses several questions as too sensitive.· Speedsensitive steering too sensitive at slow speeds.· She was being too sensitive, she told herself.· I thought Kareem was being a bit too sensitive, at the time.· Both were too sensitive about the middle-of-the-road, liberal, humanitarian public.· Everyone said I was born restless and too sensitive and intelligent for my own good.· I know that he is retiring, but he need not be too sensitive.
· Adolescents are very sensitive about pretence, hypocrisy or deceit on the part of their parents.· Very good looking, very sensitive, but cheerful.· Bat cries, as we have seen, are indeed often very loud, and their ears are very sensitive.· They perceive me as very sensitive, eager to do the right thing.· Apart from that it was observed that the left hand edge appeared not to be very sensitive.· For example, consider a very sensitive child who is easily distracted by every sight and sound around her.· The potassium ferricyanide component is very sensitive, and will detect iron in calcite with 1% ferrous carbonate in solid solution.· Psychologists classify as many as 10 to 15 percent of us as very sensitive.
NOUN· Pay attention to sensitive areas such as ears, lips and nose.· Salvage logging should be prohibited in sensitive areas....· The key question is how flexibility will be applied in sensitive areas such as foreign policy.· Designating a somewhat less sensitive area of Soviet intercepts was the Delta series of code words.· Now they're going back to a sensitive area.· If accepted by the shipping community, it will mean masters' taking special precautions in 15 sensitive areas around Britain.· We are touching here on the sensitive area of competitive tendering and of privatisation.· Alex, however, subscribes to the standard conspiracy theory that the authorities undermine anyone investigating these sensitive areas.
· A sensitive child, she could tell that something was wrong with her father ... with everything.· For example, consider a very sensitive child who is easily distracted by every sight and sound around her.· The pain and humiliation to a sensitive child is crushing.· Parents can help such highly sensitive children by showing them how to soothe themselves.· However; the defiant child also tends to have a little better postural control than the overly sensitive child.· Even more than the average child, sensitive children need to find ways to express their feelings.· It is easier to be soothing with a highly sensitive child who is clingy and frightened than with a defiant child.· That is because sensitive children, like all challenging children, have a wider range of behavior than more easy-going children.
· It is clear then that passive receipt of unpublished price sensitive information will suffice for liability for tippee trading.· Included in this process will be the appropriate evaluation and utilization of Secure networks for the transmission of sensitive information.· Also there are legal constraints on the use of price sensitive information.· Those privy to sensitive information about mergers or acquisitions of companies worth millions or billions of pounds must not abuse that privilege.· The market egalitarianism argument fails to draw a distinction between the legitimate and illegitimate use of non public price sensitive information.· A trade magazine journalist was ordered in the High Court to disclose the source of commercially sensitive information.· Some other sensitive information has limited disclosure.· How would commercially sensitive information of one company be protected?
· Expenses can be a sensitive issue but they should be available to all volunteers if needed.· The development programme is also a sensitive issue.· Weight remains a sensitive issue for Engler, who is constantly fighting a sometimes serious battle of the bulge.· And being able to discuss sensitive issues with strangers while retaining a comfortable degree of anonymity often makes for startlingly intimate communication.· Encourage employees to adopt a problem-solving attitude when discussing sensitive issues.· How can teachers be supported to help them deal with sensitive issues?· Male resistance to contraception, where it exists, is also linked to the sensitive issue of authority within the household.
· He looked like an intelligent, sensitive man, completely happy with his life.· On that night Tryan, although a sensitive man, walks to the church through a jeering mob.· Most shaving products now contain moisturising properties but for the really sensitive man, Wilkinson have formulated Skin Solutions.· Like all artistes, he is a sensitive man and you never offend his sensibilities.· Larry's a builder, Robin's an art dealer, a refined, elegant and sensitive man.· Both Jeremiah and Paul had such feelings; they were sensitive men.· Jeremiah comes across as a very sensitive man, who didn't like taking a message which was being ignored.· Here's another example of just how sensitive men can be.
· For anyone worried about extra sensitive skin, there's also a fragrance free wipe.· Very dry and sensitive skins can not use alcohol-based cleansers and may even find water-cleansing too much.· Earthworms have extremely sensitive skins and can not thrive under acid conditions.· There's biological, biological with fabric conditioner, non-biological and non biological for sensitive skins, plus delicate fabric hand wash.· Like chameleons, some are able to vary the colour of their sensitive skins, to remain camouflaged.· However, we know that young or sensitive skins of any age require special attention.· It was shown that some one with normally sensitive skin would not have been affected but that the purchaser had abnormally sensitive skin.
· Is your baby a cheeky chappie or a sensitive soul?· A sensitive soul walked into this town like a white missionary into a malarial swamp.· Teachers, after all, are sensitive souls and easily upset - especially P.E. teachers.· The sensitive souls found her more difficult to stomach.
· But it is a sensitive subject.· Shelby complained that Lake has failed to answer 25 detailed questions about a range of sensitive subjects.· Sexuality is a sensitive subject, laced with complexities.· Though that might touch on a sensitive subject ... I was sitting on the sofa, quietly crying.· Partly perhaps because policing remains a controversial and sensitive subject in Ireland.
WORD FAMILYadjectivesensibleinsensiblesenselesssensitive ≠ insensitivesensorynonsensicalinsensatenounsense ≠ nonsensesensibility ≠ insensibilitysensitivity ≠ insensitivitysenselessnesssensitizationsensoradverbsensiblysenselesslysensitively ≠ insensitivelyverbsensesensitize
1understanding people able to understand other people’s feelings and problems OPP insensitive: a sensitive and intelligent young mansensitive to It’s made me much more sensitive to the needs of the disabled.2easily offended easily upset or offended by events or things that people say: a very sensitive childsensitive about Laura’s sensitive about her weight.sensitive to Throughout her career she remained very sensitive to criticism.sensitive soul British English (=someone who is easily upset by small or unimportant things) → hypersensitive3easily affected easily affected or damaged by something such as a substance or temperature: Wetlands are environmentally sensitive areas. a baby’s sensitive skinsensitive to Older people tend to be very sensitive to cold. Increasing numbers of people are sensitive to cow’s milk.4situation/subject a situation or subject that is sensitive needs to be dealt with very carefully, because it is secret or because it may offend people: Abortion is a very sensitive issue. sensitive matters such as national security highly sensitive information► see thesaurus at secret5reacting to changes reacting to very small changes in light, temperature, position etc: a highly sensitive electronic cameralight-sensitive/heat-sensitive etc light-sensitive photographic paper6art/music etc able to understand or express yourself through art, music, literature etc: a very sensitive performance—sensitively adverb: It is an issue which needs to be handled sensitively.