verb · 7 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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CMU ARPABET:S EH1 N S AH0 T AY2 Z
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To make (someone or something) sensitive or responsive to certain stimuli.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To make (someone) increasingly aware of, in a concerned or sensitive way.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Ever since the burglary, we've been more sensitized to home security issues.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To render capable of being acted on by actinic rays of light.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Etymology tree English sensitive Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English sensitize From sensitive + -ize.
Across languages
Translations
17 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
правя чувствителен
(pravja čuvstvitelen)
— to make sensitive or responsive to certain stimuli
Catalan:
sensibilitzar
— to make sensitive or responsive to certain stimuli
Finnish:
herkistää
— to make sensitive or responsive to certain stimuli
German:
sensibilisieren
— to make sensitive or responsive to certain stimuli
Hungarian:
érzékennyé tesz
— to make sensitive or responsive to certain stimuli
Romanian:
sensibiliza
— to make sensitive or responsive to certain stimuli
Catalan:
sensibilitzar
— to make increasingly aware of
Chinese Mandarin:
使意识到
— to make increasingly aware of
Czech:
senzibilizovat
— to make increasingly aware of
Finnish:
herkistyä
— to make increasingly aware of
Finnish:
herkistää
— to make increasingly aware of
German:
sensibilisieren
— to make increasingly aware of
Hungarian:
érzékenyít
— to make increasingly aware of
Hungarian:
szenzitizál
— to make increasingly aware of
Italian:
sensibilizzare
— to make increasingly aware of
Romanian:
sensibiliza
— to make increasingly aware of
Spanish:
sensibilizar
— to make increasingly aware of