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sensitivity

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
sen·si·tiv·i·ty  (sns-tv-t)
n. pl. sen·si·tiv·i·ties
1. The quality or condition of being sensitive.
2. The capacity of an organ or organism to respond to stimulation.
3. Electronics The degree of response of a receiver or instrument to an incoming signal or to a change in the incoming signal; the signal strength required by an FM tuner to reduce noise and distortion.
4. The degree of response of a plate or film to light, especially to light of a specified wavelength.

sensitivity [ˌsɛnsɪˈtɪvɪtɪ]
n pl -ties
1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) (Economics, Accounting & Finance / Stock Exchange) (Business / Commerce) the state or quality of being sensitive
2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Physiology) Physiol the state, condition, or quality of reacting or being sensitive to an external stimulus, drug, allergen, etc.
3. (Electronics) Electronics the magnitude or time of response of an instrument, circuit, etc., to an input signal, such as a current
4. (Miscellaneous Technologies / Photography) Photog the degree of response of an emulsion to light or other actinic radiation, esp to light of a particular colour, expressed in terms of its speed
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.sensitivitysensitivity - (physiology) responsiveness to external stimuli; the faculty of sensation; "sensitivity to pain"
sensory faculty, sentiency, sentience, sense, sensation - the faculty through which the external world is apprehended; "in the dark he had to depend on touch and on his senses of smell and hearing"
acuteness - a sensitivity that is keen and highly developed; "dogs have a remarkable acuteness of smell"
hypersensitivity - extreme sensitivity
reactivity, responsiveness - responsive to stimulation
exteroception - sensitivity to stimuli originating outside of the body
interoception - sensitivity to stimuli originating inside of the body
photosensitivity, radiosensitivity - sensitivity to the action of radiant energy
physiology - the branch of the biological sciences dealing with the functioning of organisms
2.sensitivity - the ability to respond to physical stimuli or to register small physical amounts or differences; "a galvanometer of extreme sensitivity"; "the sensitiveness of Mimosa leaves does not depend on a change of growth"
physical property - any property used to characterize matter and energy and their interactions
frequency response - (electronics) a curve representing the output-to-input ratio of a transducer as a function of frequency
3.sensitivity - sensitivity to emotional feelings (of self and others)
feeling - the experiencing of affective and emotional states; "she had a feeling of euphoria"; "he had terrible feelings of guilt"; "I disliked him and the feeling was mutual"
oversensitiveness - sensitivity leading to easy irritation or upset
sensibility - refined sensitivity to pleasurable or painful impressions; "cruelty offended his sensibility"
feelings - emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity); "the remark hurt his feelings"
4.sensitivity - susceptibility to a pathogen
susceptibility, susceptibleness - the state of being susceptible; easily affected
habitus - person's predisposition to be affected by something (as a disease); "the consumptive habitus"
sensitisation, sensitization - the state of being sensitive (as to an antigen)
hypersensitivity - pathological sensitivity
diathesis - constitutional predisposition to a particular disease or abnormality
5.sensitivity - the ability to respond to affective changes in your interpersonal environment
antenna, feeler - sensitivity similar to that of a receptor organ; "he had a special antenna for public relations"
defensiveness - excessive sensitivity to criticism; "his defensiveness was manifested in hurt silence"; "the fear of being sued for malpractice has magnified physicians' defensiveness"
perceptiveness - the quality of insight and sympathetic understanding
ability - the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment
insensitiveness, insensitivity - the inability to respond to affective changes in your interpersonal environment

sensitivity
noun
1. susceptibility, responsiveness, reactivity, receptiveness, sensitiveness, reactiveness the sensitivity of cells to chemotherapy
3. delicacy, difficulty, awkwardness, trickiness, ticklishness the obvious sensitivity of the issue
4. touchiness, defensiveness, thin skin, hypersensitivity, twitchiness, oversensitivity an atmosphere of extreme sensitivity over the situation
5. responsiveness, precision, keenness, acuteness the sensitivity of the detector
Translations
sensitivity [ˌsensɪˈtɪvɪtɪ] N
1. (= emotional awareness) → sensibilidad f (to a)
2. (= touchiness) → susceptibilidad f (to a)
3. (= delicate nature) [of issue, subject] → lo delicado
4. (= confidentiality) [of document, information] → carácter m confidencial, confidencialidad f
5. [of skin, teeth] → sensibilidad f (to a)
6. (= responsiveness) [of instrument, film] → sensibilidad f
sensitivity [ˌsɛnsɪˈtɪvəti] n
(= caring nature) [person] → sensibilité f
She showed sensitivity and tact → Elle a montré de la sensibilité et du tact.
a lack of sensitivity to the problems of the unemployed → un manque de sensibilité aux problèmes des chômeurs
(= strong feelings) [person] → susceptibilité f
his sensitivity about his appearance → sa susceptibilité pour tout ce qui touche à son apparence
(= delicacy) [skin] → sensibilité f
(= controversial nature) [issue] → caractère m sensible
an issue of great sensitivity → un problème qui revêt un caractère hautement sensible
[instrument] → sensibilité f
sensitivity
n
(emotional) → Sensibilität f, → Empfindsamkeit f; (= getting easily hurt)Empfindlichkeit f; (= understanding)Einfühlsamkeit f; (of novel, film, remark)Einfühlungsvermögen nt
(physical, of instrument, part of body etc) → Empfindlichkeit f; (Phot: of emulsion, film) → Lichtempfindlichkeit f; (= delicacy: of balance, adjustment) → Feinheit f; (fig: of topic, issue) → heikle Natur; sensitivity to heat/lightWärme-/Lichtempfindlichkeit f; an issue of great sensitivityeine sehr heikle Angelegenheit
sensitivity [ˌsɛnsɪˈtɪvɪtɪ] n (see adj) → sensibilità, delicatezza, suscettibilità
sensitivity [ˌsɛnsɪˈtɪvɪtɪ] n (see adj) → sensibilità, delicatezza, suscettibilità


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Yet it was there, shouting its message of warning through every tissue cell, every nerve quickness and brain sensitivity of him--a totality of sensation that foreboded the ultimate catastrophe of life about which he knew nothing at all, but which, nevertheless, he felt to be the conclusive supreme disaster.
 
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