Standard Lemma guide

proprioception

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • UK: /ˌpɹəʊ.pɹi.əʊˈsɛp.ʃən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˌpɹoʊ.pɹi.oʊˈsɛp.ʃən/

1

noun

Meaning 1

The sense of the position of parts of the body, relative to other neighbouring parts of the body.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the ability to sense the position and location and orientation and movement of the body and its parts

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: interoception

Narrower terms: kinesthesis, kinaesthesis, kinesthesia, kinaesthesia, kinesthetics, muscle sense, sense of movement, kinanesthesia, equilibrium, labyrinthine sense, vestibular sense, sense of balance, sense of equilibrium

History

Etymology

From proprioceptor, from Latin proprius (“one's own”) + reception. Coined by British neurophysiologist Charles Scott Sherrington in 1906.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: propiocepció — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Chinese Mandarin: 本體感覺 /本体感觉 (běntǐ gǎnjué) — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Chinese Mandarin: 本體感受 /本体感受 (běntǐgǎnshòu) — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Danish: proprioception — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Dutch: proprioceptie — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Esperanto: propriocepto — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Esperanto: proprioceptado — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Estonian: propriotseptsioon — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Finnish: asentoaisti — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Finnish: proprioseptiikka — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Finnish: proprioseptio — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • French: proprioception — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • German: Propriozeption — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • German: Tiefensensibilität — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Greek: ιδιοδεκτικότητα (idiodektikótita) — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Hungarian: propriocepció — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Hungarian: izom helyzetérzékelés — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Hungarian: ízületi helyzetérzékelés — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Hungarian: ízületi és izom mozgás- és helyzetérzékelés — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Hungarian: ízületi és izom mozgásérzékelés — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Hungarian: izom mozgásérzékelés — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Hungarian: ízületi mozgásérzékelés — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Italian: propriocezione — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Korean: 심부감각 (simbugamgak) — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Norwegian: propriosepsjon — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Polish: propriocepcja — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Portuguese: propriocepção — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Russian: кинестезия (kinestezija) — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Russian: проприоце́пция (propriocépcija) — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Spanish: propiocepción — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Spanish: propriocepción — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Swedish: proprioception — sense of the position of parts of the body
  • Ukrainian: пропріоце́пція (propriocépcija) — sense of the position of parts of the body