sentient
sentient Lexical Profile
sentient Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Able to perceive, feel, or experience subjective sensations and emotions.
"Ethical guidelines require researchers to minimize distress when working with sentient creatures."
• noun
A conscious being or entity capable of perception, feeling, and subjective experience.
"The science fiction novel explores diplomatic relations among various galactic sentients."
Word Nuance & Usage
In philosophy and animal ethics, "sentient" specifically denotes the capacity to experience feelings and sensations (such as pain or pleasure), whereas "sapient" refers to higher-order reasoning, wisdom, and self-awareness—though science fiction frequently conflates the two.
• Rhymes for sentient
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 17th century from Latin sentiens (genitive sentientis), the present participle of sentire, meaning "to feel" or "to perceive."