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sen·si·ble

(sĕnsə-bəl)

adj.

a. Acting with or exhibiting good judgment; reasonable: a sensible person; a sensible choice.

b. Not ornate or impractical: a sensible hairdo; sensible shoes.

2. Having a perception of something; cognizant: "I am sensible that a good deal more is still to be done" (Edmund Burke). See Synonyms at aware.

3. Perceptible or appreciable by the senses or by the mind: a sensible difference in temperature.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin sēnsibilis, from sēnsus, sense; see SENSE.]

sensi·ble·ness n.

sensi·bly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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