sense
1 of 2noun
ˈsen(t)s 
1
: a meaning conveyed or intended : import, signification
especially : one of a set of meanings a word or phrase may bear especially as segregated in a dictionary entry
2
a
: the faculty of perceiving by means of sense organs
b
: a specialized function or mechanism (such as sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch) by which an animal receives and responds to external or internal stimuli
c
: the sensory mechanisms constituting a unit distinct from other functions (such as movement or thought)
3
: conscious awareness or rationality —usually used in plural
finally came to his senses
4
a
: a particular sensation or kind or quality of sensation
a good sense of balance
b
: a definite but often vague awareness or impression
felt a sense of insecurity
a sense of danger
c
: a motivating awareness
a sense of shame
d
: a discerning awareness and appreciation
her sense of humor
5
: consensus
the sense of the meeting
6
a
: capacity for effective application of the powers of the mind as a basis for action or response : intelligence
b
: sound mental capacity and understanding typically marked by shrewdness and practicality
also : agreement with or satisfaction of such power
this decision makes sense
7
: one of two opposite directions especially of motion (as of a point, line, or surface)
sense
2 of 2verb
sensed; sensing
transitive verb
1
a
: to perceive by the senses (see sense entry 1 sense 2)
b
: to be or become conscious of
sense danger
2
: grasp, comprehend
3
: to detect automatically especially in response to a physical stimulus (such as light or movement)
Synonyms
Noun
- feel
- feeling
- sensation
Verb
- feel
- perceive
- scent
- see
- smell
- taste
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun There is an unnerving sense now that technology is driving the culture rather than the reverse. Machines and sites and software are breeding at an exponential clip, and we hapless humans race around trying to adapt. 
Steven Johnson, Discover, July 2006 The caricature of neurotic nuns who specialized in corporal punishment and guilt crumbles before the countless examples of women religious who made the difference in determining that a child would eat, or be safe, or have any sense of dignity at all. Luke Timothy Johnson, Commonweal, 22 Sept. 2006 Because Updike shrinks from giving any real credence to the ideology that drives his plot (in both senses of that word), the book becomes a temporarily enthralling, but ultimately empty shaggy dog story. Jonathan Raban, New York Review of Books, 13 July 2006 Less distinguished people experience a similar tangling of the senses, some reporting that they can taste the words they speak or see the colors of certain words or numbers. This confounding of perception—called synesthesia—was thought to affect at most about 4 percent of the population, but University College London psychologist Jamie Ward has uncovered the best evidence yet that we may all have a bit of synesthesia. Kathryn Garfield, Discover, December 2006 All of my senses were on the alert for danger. We had a sense that something wasn't quite right. His senses were clear despite his illness. Verb The latest feature on air conditioners is a big new plug to help prevent fires. The plug shuts down power when it senses that the air conditioner cord is damaged. Consumer Reports, July 2005 With very little provocation, magic might have been flying back and forth in an unpleasant and damaging manner. Sensing the danger, Kate stepped between them and raised her hands. "Let us have no more of this. There is a confusion to be cleared up, and I cannot do that in the middle of a brannigan," she said. John Morressy, Fantasy & Science Fiction, October/November 2004 In Pecnik, he had instantly sensed a kindred spirit. As a boy Pecnik had strapped homemade parachutes to hamsters and tossed them (without harm) from his sixth-story bedroom window; by the time he joined the Croatian national team he was making his own jumpsuits. William Speed Weed, Popular Science, July 2003 She immediately sensed my dislike. A motion detector can sense movement. See More
Steven Johnson, Discover, July 2006 The caricature of neurotic nuns who specialized in corporal punishment and guilt crumbles before the countless examples of women religious who made the difference in determining that a child would eat, or be safe, or have any sense of dignity at all. Luke Timothy Johnson, Commonweal, 22 Sept. 2006 Because Updike shrinks from giving any real credence to the ideology that drives his plot (in both senses of that word), the book becomes a temporarily enthralling, but ultimately empty shaggy dog story. Jonathan Raban, New York Review of Books, 13 July 2006 Less distinguished people experience a similar tangling of the senses, some reporting that they can taste the words they speak or see the colors of certain words or numbers. This confounding of perception—called synesthesia—was thought to affect at most about 4 percent of the population, but University College London psychologist Jamie Ward has uncovered the best evidence yet that we may all have a bit of synesthesia. Kathryn Garfield, Discover, December 2006 All of my senses were on the alert for danger. We had a sense that something wasn't quite right. His senses were clear despite his illness. Verb The latest feature on air conditioners is a big new plug to help prevent fires. The plug shuts down power when it senses that the air conditioner cord is damaged. Consumer Reports, July 2005 With very little provocation, magic might have been flying back and forth in an unpleasant and damaging manner. Sensing the danger, Kate stepped between them and raised her hands. "Let us have no more of this. There is a confusion to be cleared up, and I cannot do that in the middle of a brannigan," she said. John Morressy, Fantasy & Science Fiction, October/November 2004 In Pecnik, he had instantly sensed a kindred spirit. As a boy Pecnik had strapped homemade parachutes to hamsters and tossed them (without harm) from his sixth-story bedroom window; by the time he joined the Croatian national team he was making his own jumpsuits. William Speed Weed, Popular Science, July 2003 She immediately sensed my dislike. A motion detector can sense movement. See More Recent Examples on the Web Liam Hess, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2022 On Saturday, Deering who graduated from Marygrove in 1972, will head back to school, in a sense, to see many of her former classmates at their 50-year reunion which also is Deering’s 72nd birthday. Jasmin Barmore, Freep.com, 10 Sep. 2022 That moment in the sense of an unexpected, large-scale event that imprints itself on your memory. Fox News, 9 Sep. 2022 Outside the palace in central London, Britons and people from around the world shared in the sense of disbelief that the second Elizabethan age has come to an end. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 9 Sep. 2022 In a sense, both outlooks are necessary to a functioning society: We are defined by our differences, but must also accept our place within the collective. Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Sep. 2022 In this sense, there are no rivalries or, to look at it another way, every game is a rivalry. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 9 Sep. 2022 Shabir likened video games to books, in the sense that games had the power to influence her way of thinking and her perspective. Jonathan Lee, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2022 In that sense, the benefits of keeping the leaves probably outweigh those risks. Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 8 Sep. 2022 David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2022 Others, like Storey, sense that overexposure to nudity online seems to have made people less comfortable with nudity in real life. Stephanie H. Murray, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2022 For example, Republicans living in coastal areas—in California and Florida, for instance, two states where climate change is increasingly evident—have a much higher than average (compared to other Republicans) sense that climate change is ongoing. Mike O'sullivan, Forbes, 13 Aug. 2022 Empathetic people sense or imagine what other people feel—which is an essential factor in motivating them to act to help others (in this case, other people and the planet). Colleen De Bellefonds, SELF, 27 June 2022 Voters sense that these tepid reforms will only help at the margins to reduce the carnage from our out-of-control gun culture. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 26 May 2022 Emma could sense his nerves, but hers dissipated upon shaking his hand. Rich Juzwiak, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2022 The home crowd could sense the victory and rose to ear-splitting volume when Payton Pritchard's three-pointer gave the Celtics a 87-68 lead with 9:06 left. Ben Steele, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 15 May 2022 The ship would remain encapsulated in a bubble, and the crew would not sense the magnitude of the interstellar journey. Robert Gast, Scientific American, 13 July 2021 See More
Noun
Knowing that the Belgian show had worked in that sense helped. Liam Hess, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2022 On Saturday, Deering who graduated from Marygrove in 1972, will head back to school, in a sense, to see many of her former classmates at their 50-year reunion which also is Deering’s 72nd birthday. Jasmin Barmore, Freep.com, 10 Sep. 2022 That moment in the sense of an unexpected, large-scale event that imprints itself on your memory. Fox News, 9 Sep. 2022 Outside the palace in central London, Britons and people from around the world shared in the sense of disbelief that the second Elizabethan age has come to an end. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 9 Sep. 2022 In a sense, both outlooks are necessary to a functioning society: We are defined by our differences, but must also accept our place within the collective. Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Sep. 2022 In this sense, there are no rivalries or, to look at it another way, every game is a rivalry. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 9 Sep. 2022 Shabir likened video games to books, in the sense that games had the power to influence her way of thinking and her perspective. Jonathan Lee, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2022 In that sense, the benefits of keeping the leaves probably outweigh those risks. Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 8 Sep. 2022 Verb
On both sides of the political divide, Americans sense that there’s trouble ahead. David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2022 Others, like Storey, sense that overexposure to nudity online seems to have made people less comfortable with nudity in real life. Stephanie H. Murray, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2022 For example, Republicans living in coastal areas—in California and Florida, for instance, two states where climate change is increasingly evident—have a much higher than average (compared to other Republicans) sense that climate change is ongoing. Mike O'sullivan, Forbes, 13 Aug. 2022 Empathetic people sense or imagine what other people feel—which is an essential factor in motivating them to act to help others (in this case, other people and the planet). Colleen De Bellefonds, SELF, 27 June 2022 Voters sense that these tepid reforms will only help at the margins to reduce the carnage from our out-of-control gun culture. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 26 May 2022 Emma could sense his nerves, but hers dissipated upon shaking his hand. Rich Juzwiak, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2022 The home crowd could sense the victory and rose to ear-splitting volume when Payton Pritchard's three-pointer gave the Celtics a 87-68 lead with 9:06 left. Ben Steele, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 15 May 2022 The ship would remain encapsulated in a bubble, and the crew would not sense the magnitude of the interstellar journey. Robert Gast, Scientific American, 13 July 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French sen, sens sensation, feeling, mechanism of perception, meaning, from Latin sensus, from sentire to perceive, feel; perhaps akin to Old High German sinnan to go, strive, Old English sith journey — more at send
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1b
Phrases Containing sense
Kids Definition
sense 1 of 2
noun
ˈsens
1
: a specialized function or mechanism (as sight, taste, or touch) of the body that involves the action and effect of a stimulus on a sense organ
2
: awareness arrived at through or as if through the senses
He felt a sense of danger.
3
: a particular sensation or kind of sensation
I lost my sense of balance.
4
: the ability to make wise decisions
5
: an awareness or understanding of something
a sense of humor
a sense of pride
6
: a reason or excuse based on intelligence or good judgment
There is no sense in continuing.
7
: a logical, sensible, or practical thing, act, or way of doing
Saving money for the future makes sense.
8
: a meaning or one of a set of meanings a word, phrase, or story may have
sense
2 of 2verb
sensed; sensing
: to be or become aware of
My cat can sense the approach of a storm.
Medical Definition
sense 1 of 2
noun
ˈsen(t)s
1
a
: the faculty of perceiving by means of sense organs
b
: a specialized function or mechanism (as sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch) by which an animal receives and responds to external or internal stimuli
c
: the sensory mechanisms constituting a unit distinct from other functions (as movement or thought)
2
: a particular sensation or kind or quality of sensation
a good sense of balance
sense
2 of 2transitive verb
sensed; sensing
: to perceive by the senses
sense 1 of 2
noun
1
as in feel
an indefinite physical response to a stimulus a strange sense of discomfort brought on by the room's strong colors Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- feel
- feeling
- sensation
- perception
- impression
- hint
- touch
- suggestion
2
as in intellect
the ability to learn and understand or to deal with problems although he has little formal education, he is a man of considerable practical sense Synonyms & Similar Words
- intellect
- intelligence
- reason
- intellectuality
- mentality
- brain(s)
- talent
- insight
- smarts
- brainpower
- wit
- gray matter
- aptitude
- mind
- wisdom
- perception
- brilliance
- apprehension
- intellectualism
- judgment
- discernment
- alertness
- headpiece
- astuteness
- acumen
- perspicacity
- percipience
- common sense
- sagacity
- braininess
- horse sense
- judgement
- discriminability
- sapience
- highbrowism
- eggheadedness
- mother wit
- skull
- head
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- slowness
- dullness
- dulness
- idiocy
- density
- senselessness
- stupidity
- foolishness
- imbecility
- denseness
- simpleness
- feeblemindedness
- dumbness
- fatuity
- dopiness
- doltishness
- half-wittedness
3
as in prudence
the ability to make intelligent decisions especially in everyday matters you have the sense to handle anything that comes up Synonyms & Similar Words
- prudence
- wisdom
- wit
- sensibleness
- insight
- intelligence
- discretion
- logicality
- discreetness
- gumption
- common sense
- levelheadedness
- horse sense
- brains
- policy
- judgment
- logicalness
- practicality
- nous
- rationality
- caution
- foresight
- judgement
- foresightedness
- discernment
- sagacity
- gray matter
- astuteness
- care
- acumen
- circumspection
- clearheadedness
- keenness
- shrewdness
- discrimination
- perspicacity
- sapience
- forethoughtfulness
- penetration
- street smarts
- farsightedness
- forehandedness
- precaution
- premeditation
- rationalness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- imprudence
- indiscretion
- idiocy
- stupidity
- carelessness
- shortsightedness
- foolishness
- senselessness
- unreasonableness
- heedlessness
- brainlessness
- half-wittedness
4
as in meaning
the idea that is conveyed or intended to be conveyed to the mind by language, symbol, or action got the general sense of the poem Synonyms & Similar Words
- meaning
- significance
- intention
- intent
- content
- definition
- connotation
- implication
- import
- theme
- nature
- message
- signification
- indication
- drift
- hint
- denotation
- essence
- suggestion
- purport
- spirit
- clue
- stuff
- motive
- inkling
- soul
- acceptance
- matter
- tenor
- topic
- question
- point
- intimation
- heart
- burden
- cue
- quick
- subject
- core
- gist
- nucleus
- essentiality
- acceptation
- marrow
- kernel
- crux
- pith
- motif
- bottom
- nub
5
as in reasoning
the thought processes that have been established as leading to valid solutions to problems your argument simply shows no sense Synonyms & Similar Words
- reasoning
- logic
- reason
- logicality
- coherence
- intellection
- rationality
- argumentation
- logicalness
- ratiocination
- persuasiveness
- cogency
- analysis
- synthesis
- convincingness
- dissection
- deduction
- syllogism
- rationalness
- disputation
- induction
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- incoherence
- illogic
- absurdity
- irrationality
- insanity
- senselessness
- preposterousness
- nonsensicalness
- brainlessness
sense
2 of 2verb
1
as in to feel
to have a vague awareness of the deer seemed to sense danger Synonyms & Similar Words
- feel
- smell
- see
- taste
- notice
- perceive
- hear
- sight
- realize
- scent
- expect
- view
- note
- remark
- regard
- guess
- discern
- anticipate
- eye
- divine
- discover
- ascertain
- learn
- suppose
- suspect
- witness
- foresee
- surmise
- distinguish
- spy
- find out
- conjecture
- assume
- behold
- presume
- observe
- speculate
- look (at)
- descry
- espy
- foreknow
- catch on (to)
2
as in to understand
to have a clear idea of I did not sense the full meaning of his cryptic warning until much later Synonyms & Similar Words
- understand
- know
- grasp
- appreciate
- recognize
- comprehend
- decipher
- see
- realize
- perceive
- discern
- get
- make
- intuit
- savvy
- apprehend
- conceive
- grok
- compass
- assimilate
- dig
- seize
- register
- behold
- make out
- twig
- decode
- catch
- pick up on
- fathom
- tumble (to)
- cognize
- catch on (to)
- digest
- absorb
- cotton (to or on to)
- penetrate
- take in
- pierce
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- miss
- misunderstand
- mistake
- misinterpret
- misread
- misconstrue
- misapprehend
- misconceive
- misperceive
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of sense are common sense, judgment, and wisdom. While all these words mean "ability to reach intelligent conclusions," sense implies a reliable ability to judge and decide with soundness, prudence, and intelligence.
a choice showing good sense
The words common sense and sense can be used in similar contexts, but common sense suggests an average degree of such ability without sophistication or special knowledge.
common sense tells me it's wrong
Although the words judgment and sense have much in common, judgment implies sense tempered and refined by experience, training, and maturity.
they relied on her judgment for guidance
In some situations, the words wisdom and sense are roughly equivalent. However, wisdom implies sense and judgment far above average.
a leader of rare wisdom