sense

Definitions

sense comes straight from Latin sentīre 'to feel, perceive' (its sens- stem). Every modern meaning radiates from that one act of feeling: the five senses are the body's perceiving organs; 'a sense of danger' is feeling something is wrong; 'the sense of a word' is the meaning your mind perceives in it; and 'common sense' is the good judgement of a mind that perceives reality clearly. To 'sense' something is to feel it before you can prove it.

Why It Means This

One Latin verb, sentīre 'to feel,' unifies a word that looks like it has scattered meanings. Start with the body feeling the world (the senses), then let 'feeling' move inward (a sense of unease) and abstract upward: a word's sense is what the mind 'feels' it to mean, and common sense is a clear-headed feel for how things really are. This is why nonsense (non- + sense) is literally 'no meaning' and consensus (con- + sentīre) is 'feeling together.' Hold the image of feeling, and the whole family lines up.

Common Collocations

• 1.common sense常识
• 2.a sense of humour幽默感
• 3.make sense讲得通，有道理
• 4.a sense of belonging归属感
• 5.in a sense在某种意义上
• 6.sixth sense第六感

Example Sentences

• 1.

  Dogs have a much sharper sense of smell than humans do.

• 2.

  I had a strange sense that someone was watching me.

• 3.

  In what sense are you using the word "free"?

• 4.

  She had the good sense to leave before the argument got worse.

• 5.

  The animals seemed to sense the storm coming long before it arrived.

Easily Confused

sense vs sensation — Both are 'feeling,' but sense is the faculty or the meaning (a sense of smell, the sense of a word), while sensation is a single physical or emotional feeling you experience (a burning sensation, a sensation of falling). You sense danger (perceive it); you feel a sensation (a discrete bodily event).

Synonym Comparison