Revised 2016 More entries for "sensible"
sensibleadjective, noun, & adverb
Factsheet
What does the word sensible mean?
There are 33 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word sensible, 13 of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
sensible has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
How common is the word sensible?
About 10occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 100 |
| 1760 | 110 |
| 1770 | 110 |
| 1780 | 87 |
| 1790 | 78 |
| 1800 | 77 |
| 1810 | 65 |
| 1820 | 61 |
| 1830 | 51 |
| 1840 | 40 |
| 1850 | 37 |
| 1860 | 29 |
| 1870 | 28 |
| 1880 | 24 |
| 1890 | 20 |
| 1900 | 19 |
| 1910 | 14 |
| 1920 | 14 |
| 1930 | 14 |
| 1940 | 13 |
| 1950 | 13 |
| 1960 | 13 |
| 1970 | 11 |
| 1980 | 10 |
| 1990 | 9.7 |
| 2000 | 9.9 |
| 2010 | 9.9 |
How is the word sensible pronounced?
British English
/ˈsɛnsᵻbl/
SEN-suh-buhl
U.S. English
/ˈsɛnsəbəl/
SEN-suh-buhl
Where does the word sensible come from?
Earliest known use
Middle English
The earliest known use of the word sensible is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).
OED's earliest evidence for sensible is from before 1393, in the writing of John Gower, poet.
sensible is of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin.
Etymons: French sensible; Latin sensibilis.
Nearby entries
- senshaw, n.1817–1902
- sensi, n.1982–
- sensibile, n.a1678–
- sensibilité, n.1817–
- sensibilitous, adj.1811–
- sensibility, n.?c1400–
- sensibilization, n.1855–
- sensibilize, v.1860–
- sensibilizer, n.1900–23
- sensibilizing, adj.1902–
- sensible, adj., n., & adv.a1393–
- sensible caloric, n.1800–
- sensible energy, n.1867–
- sensible experience, n.1535–
- sensible heat, n.1770–
- sensible horizon, n.1550–
- sensibleness, n.?a1425–
- sensible note, n.?1775–
- sensible part, n.1657–1817
- sensible perspiration, n.1676–
- sensible point, n.1644–1819
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for sensible, adj., n., & adv.
sensible, adj., n., & adv. was revised in December 2016.
sensible, adj., n., & adv. was last modified in March 2024.
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into sensible, adj., n., & adv. in March 2024.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1912)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .
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Citation details
Factsheet for sensible, adj., n., & adv.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- senshaw, n.1817–1902
- sensi, n.1982–
- sensibile, n.a1678–
- sensibilité, n.1817–
- sensibilitous, adj.1811–
- sensibility, n.?c1400–
- sensibilization, n.1855–
- sensibilize, v.1860–
- sensibilizer, n.1900–23
- sensibilizing, adj.1902–
- sensible, adj., n., & adv.a1393–
- sensible caloric, n.1800–
- sensible energy, n.1867–
- sensible experience, n.1535–
- sensible heat, n.1770–
- sensible horizon, n.1550–
- sensibleness, n.?a1425–
- sensible note, n.?1775–
- sensible part, n.1657–1817
- sensible perspiration, n.1676–
- sensible point, n.1644–1819
