sensitivity

[ sen-si-tiv-i-tee ]
/ ˌsɛn sɪˈtɪv ɪ ti /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR sensitivity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural sen·si·tiv·i·ties for 2, 3.

the state or quality of being sensitive; sensitiveness.
Physiology.
  1. the ability of an organism or part of an organism to react to stimuli; irritability.
  2. degree of susceptibility to stimulation.
Electricity.
  1. the ability of a radio device to react to incoming signals, expressed as the minimum input signal required to produce a specified output signal with a given noise level.
  2. the input, as voltage, current, or the like, required to produce full deflection in an electric measuring device, expressed as the ratio of the response to the magnitude of the input quantity.

Origin of sensitivity

First recorded in 1795–1805; sensitive + -ity

OTHER WORDS FROM sensitivity

an·ti·sen·si·tiv·i·ty, noun, plural an·ti·sen·si·tiv·i·ties, adjective non·sen·si·tiv·i·ty, noun, plural non·sen·si·tiv·i·ties.

Words nearby sensitivity

sensillum, sensitive, sensitive fern, sensitive plant, sensitiveness, sensitivity, sensitivity group, sensitivity training, sensitization, sensitize, sensitized antigen

Words related to sensitivity

nervousness, subtlety, sympathy, sense, feeling, awareness, susceptibility, consciousness, delicacy, sensation, acuteness, receptiveness, sensitiveness, reactivity, impressionability, reactiveness

Example sentences from the Web for sensitivity

British Dictionary definitions for sensitivity

sensitivity
/ (ˌsɛnsɪˈtɪvɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the state or quality of being sensitive
physiol the state, condition, or quality of reacting or being sensitive to an external stimulus, drug, allergen, etc
electronics the magnitude or time of response of an instrument, circuit, etc, to an input signal, such as a current
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

Medical definitions for sensitivity

sensitivity
[ sĕn′sĭ-tĭv′ĭ-tē ]

n.

The quality or condition of being sensitive.
The capacity of an organ or organism to respond to a stimulus.
The proportion of individuals in a population that will be correctly identified when administered a test designed to detect a particular disease, calculated as the number of true positive results divided by the number of true positive and false negative results.