SENSITIVITY

Pronunciation (US):

• SENSITIVITY (noun)
  The noun SENSITIVITY has 5 senses:

1. (physiology) responsiveness to external stimuli; the faculty of sensation
2. the ability to respond to physical stimuli or to register small physical amounts or differences
3. sensitivity to emotional feelings (of self and others)
4. susceptibility to a pathogen
5. the ability to respond to affective changes in your interpersonal environment

  Familiarity information: SENSITIVITY used as a noun is common.

• SENSITIVITY (noun)

Meaning:

(physiology) responsiveness to external stimuli; the faculty of sensation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

sensitivity; sensitiveness; sensibility

Context example:

sensitivity to pain

Hypernyms ("sensitivity" is a kind of...):

sensation; sense; sensory faculty; sentience; sentiency (the faculty through which the external world is apprehended)

Domain category:

physiology (the branch of the biological sciences dealing with the functioning of organisms)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sensitivity"):

photosensitivity; radiosensitivity (sensitivity to the action of radiant energy)

interoception (sensitivity to stimuli originating inside of the body)

exteroception (sensitivity to stimuli originating outside of the body)

reactivity; responsiveness (responsive to stimulation)

hypersensitivity (extreme sensitivity)

acuteness (a sensitivity that is keen and highly developed)

Meaning:

The ability to respond to physical stimuli or to register small physical amounts or differences

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

sensitivity; sensitiveness

Context examples:

a galvanometer of extreme sensitivity / the sensitiveness of Mimosa leaves does not depend on a change of growth

Hypernyms ("sensitivity" is a kind of...):

physical property (a property used to characterize physical objects)

Attribute:

sensitive (responsive to physical stimuli)

insensitive (not responsive to physical stimuli)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sensitivity"):

frequency response ((electronics) a response depicting the output-to-input ratio of a transducer as a function of frequency)

Meaning:

Sensitivity to emotional feelings (of self and others)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

sensitiveness; sensitivity

Hypernyms ("sensitivity" is a kind of...):

feeling (the experiencing of affective and emotional states)

Attribute:

sensitive (being susceptible to the attitudes, feelings, or circumstances of others)

insensitive (deficient in human sensibility; not mentally or morally sensitive)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sensitivity"):

feelings (emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity))

sensibility (refined sensitivity to pleasurable or painful impressions)

oversensitiveness (sensitivity leading to easy irritation or upset)

Meaning:

Susceptibility to a pathogen

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

predisposition; sensitivity

Hypernyms ("sensitivity" is a kind of...):

susceptibility; susceptibleness (the state of being susceptible; easily affected)

Attribute:

sensitising; sensitizing (making susceptible or sensitive to either physical or emotional stimuli)

desensitising; desensitizing (making less susceptible or sensitive to either physical or emotional stimuli)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sensitivity"):

habitus (person's predisposition to be affected by something (as a disease))

sensitisation; sensitization (the state of being sensitive (as to an antigen))

hypersensitivity (pathological sensitivity)

diathesis (constitutional predisposition to a particular disease or abnormality)

Meaning:

The ability to respond to affective changes in your interpersonal environment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

sensitiveness; sensitivity

Hypernyms ("sensitivity" is a kind of...):

ability (the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sensitivity"):

antenna; feeler (sensitivity similar to that of a receptor organ)

defensiveness (excessive sensitivity to criticism)

perceptiveness (the quality of insight and sympathetic understanding)

Antonym:

insensitivity (the inability to respond to affective changes in your interpersonal environment)