- sen´si|tive|ly
- sen|si|tive «SEHN suh tihv», adjective, noun.–adj.1. receiving impressions readily: »
The eye is sensitive to light.
2. a) easily affected or influenced: »The mercury in the thermometer is sensitive to changes in temperature.
b) easily affected by certain agents: »paper sensitive to white light.
c) (of a radio receiving set) readily affected by incoming radio waves. d) fluctuating or tending to fluctuate rapidly: »sensitive prices or stocks.
3. easily hurt or offended: »to be sensitive to criticism. She is sensitive when scolded. He was keenly sensitive about his failure.
4. of, having to do with, or connected with the senses or sensation: »the sensitive perception of objects.
5. Medicine. unusually susceptible: »sensitive to a serum.
6. Biology. able to respond to stimulation by various external agents, such as light or gravity.7. Botany. responding to external stimuli by moving, as the leaves of the sensitive plant.8. having or involving access to secret or classified documents or data: »employees occupying sensitive positions in the government.
–n.1. a person who is sensitive to psychic, hypnotic, or spiritualistic influences; medium.2. a person having a highly developed sensitive faculty: »He was a sublime emotional Englishman, who lived by atmosphere. He was a great sensitive (G. K. Chesterton).
╂[< Old French sensitif, sensitive, learned borrowing from Medieval Latin sensitivus < Latin sēnsus, -ūs; see etym. under sense (Cf. ↑sense)]–sen´si|tive|ly, adverb.–sen´si|tive|ness, noun.Synonym Study adjective.2a Sensitive, susceptible mean easily affected or influenced. Sensitive suggests having, by nature or because of a physical or emotional condition, a specially keen or delicate capacity for feeling or for responding to an external influence: »Sensitive people are quickly touched by something beautiful or sad. The insecure student is sensitive to all criticism.
Susceptible suggests a nature or character easily acted on because of inability to resist some influence: »Susceptible people are easily tricked.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.
