different between sensible vs discreet
sensible
English
Etymology
From Latin s?nsibilis (“perceptible by the senses, having feeling, sensible”), from senti? (“to feel, perceive”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /?sen.s?.bl?/
- (General American) IPA(key): /?s?n.s?.bl?/
Adjective
sensible (comparative more sensible, superlative most sensible or sensiblest)
- (now dated or formal) Perceptible by the senses.
- 1751, John Arbuthnot, An Essay Concerning the Effects of Air on Human Bodies (page 1)
- Air is sensible to the Touch by its Motion, and by its Resistance to Bodies moved in it.
- 1778, William Lewis, The New Dispensatory (page 91)
- The sensible qualities of argentina promise no great virtue of this kind; for to the taste it discovers only a slight roughishness, from whence it may be presumed to be entitled to a place only among the milder corroborants.
- 1902, William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, Folio Society 2008, page 45:
- It has been vouchsafed, for example, to very few Christian believers to have had a sensible vision of their Saviour.
- 1751, John Arbuthnot, An Essay Concerning the Effects of Air on Human Bodies (page 1)
- Easily perceived; appreciable.
- The discovery of the mines of America […] does not seem to have had any very sensible effect upon the prices of things in England.
- (archaic) Able to feel or perceive.
- (archaic) Liable to external impression; easily affected; sensitive.
- a sensible thermometer
- Of or pertaining to the senses; sensory.
- (archaic) Cognizant; having the perception of something; aware of something.
- , Book II, Chapter I
- He cannot think at any time, waking or sleeping, without being sensible of it.
- 1810, Thomas Green, Extracts from the diary of a lover of literature
- we are now sensible that it would have been absurd
- , Book II, Chapter I
- Acting with or showing good sense; able to make good judgements based on reason.
- 2005, Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. 230b.
- They ask questions of someone who thinks he's got something sensible to say on some matter when actually he hasn't.
- 2005, Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. 230b.
- Characterized more by usefulness or practicality than by fashionableness, especially of clothing.
- 1999, Neil Gaiman, Stardust (2001 Perennial Edition), page 8,
- They would walk, on fair evenings, around the village, and discuss the theory of crop rotation, and the weather, and other such sensible matters.
- 1999, Neil Gaiman, Stardust (2001 Perennial Edition), page 8,
Usage notes
- "Sensible" describes the reasonable way in which a person may think about things or do things:
- It wouldn't be sensible to start all over again now.
- It is not comparable to its cognates in certain languages (see below).
- "Sensitive" describes an emotional way in which a person may react to things:
- He has always been a sensitive child.
- I didn’t realize she was so sensitive about her work.
Related terms
- sense
- sensory
- sensual
- sensuous
- supersensible
Translations
Noun
sensible (plural sensibles)
- (obsolete) Sensation; sensibility.
- (obsolete) That which impresses itself on the senses; anything perceptible.
- 1857, William Fleming, Vocabulary of Philosophyyy
- Aristotle distinguished sensibles into common and proper.
- 1857, William Fleming, Vocabulary of Philosophyyy
- (obsolete) That which has sensibility; a sensitive being.
- This melancholy extends itself not to men only, but even to vegetals and sensibles.
Further reading
- sensible in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- sensible in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
- sensible at OneLook Dictionary Search
Catalan
Etymology
From Latin s?nsibilis, attested from the 14th century.
Pronunciation
- (Balearic, Central) IPA(key): /s?n?si.bl?/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /sen?si.ble/
Adjective
sensible (masculine and feminine plural sensibles)
- sentient
- sensitive
Derived terms
- sensiblement
Related terms
- insensible
- sensibilitat
- sentir
References
Further reading
- “sensible” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “sensible” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “sensible” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /s??.sibl/
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Latin s?nsibilis.
Adjective
sensible (plural sensibles)
- sensitive
Derived terms
- sensibilité
- sensiblement
Related terms
- sentir
Etymology 2
Ellipsis of note sensible.
Noun
sensible f (plural sensibles)
- (music) leading tone
Further reading
- “sensible” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
German
Pronunciation
Adjective
sensible
- inflection of sensibel:
- strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
- strong nominative/accusative plural
- weak nominative all-gender singular
- weak accusative feminine/neuter singular
Spanish
Etymology
From Latin s?nsibilis.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /sen?sible/, [s?n?si.??le]
Adjective
sensible (plural sensibles)
- sensitive
- sentient
- responsive
Usage notes
- Sensible is a false friend, and does not mean reasonable in Spanish. Spanish equivalents are shown above, in the "Translations" section of the English entry sensible.
Antonyms
- insensible
Related terms
Further reading
- “sensible” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.
sensible From the web:
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discreet
English
Etymology
From Middle English discrete, from Old French discret, from Latin discr?tus, from past participle of discernere. Doublet of discrete.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /d??sk?i?t/
- Rhymes: -i?t
- Homophone: discrete (separable into parts)
Adjective
discreet (comparative more discreet or discreeter, superlative most discreet or discreetest)
- Respectful of privacy or secrecy; exercising caution in order to avoid causing embarrassment; quiet; diplomatic.
- With a discreet gesture, she reminded him to mind his manners.
- John just doesn't understand that laughing at Mary all day is not very discreet.
- Not drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous.
Usage notes
- Although cognate and identical in the Middle English period, the term has become distinct from discrete.
Derived terms
- discreetly
- discretion
Translations
Anagrams
- desertic, discrete
Dutch
Etymology
From Middle Dutch discreet, from Old French discret, from Medieval Latin discr?tus, from discern?.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /d?s?kre?t/
- Hyphenation: dis?creet
- Rhymes: -e?t
Adjective
discreet (comparative discreter, superlative discreetst)
- discreet (with discretion)
- discrete (not continuous)
Inflection
Derived terms
- discretie
discreet From the web:
- what discreet means
- what's discreet shipping
- what discreet means in spanish
- what discreet means in farsi
- discreet what does it mean
- discreet what part of speech
- discreet what is the tamil meaning
- discrete data
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