The Collaborative International Dictionary
Sensitive \Sen"si*tive\, a. [F. sensitif. See Sense.]
Having sense of feeling; possessing or exhibiting the capacity of receiving impressions from external objects; as, a sensitive soul.
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Having quick and acute sensibility, either to the action of external objects, or to impressions upon the mind and feelings; highly susceptible; easily and acutely affected.
She was too sensitive to abuse and calumny.
--Macaulay. (Mech.) Having a capacity of being easily affected or moved; as, a sensitive thermometer; sensitive scales.
(Chem. & Photog.) Readily affected or changed by certain appropriate agents; as, silver chloride or bromide, when in contact with certain organic substances, is extremely sensitive to actinic rays.
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Serving to affect the sense; sensible. [R.]
A sensitive love of some sensitive objects.
--Hammond. -
Of or pertaining to sensation; depending on sensation; as, sensitive motions; sensitive muscular motions excited by irritation. --E. Darwin. Sensitive fern (Bot.), an American fern ( Onoclea sensibilis), the leaves of which, when plucked, show a slight tendency to fold together. Sensitive flame (Physics), a gas flame so arranged that under a suitable adjustment of pressure it is exceedingly sensitive to sounds, being caused to roar, flare, or become suddenly shortened or extinguished, by slight sounds of the proper pitch. Sensitive joint vetch (Bot.), an annual leguminous herb ( [AE]schynomene hispida), with sensitive foliage. Sensitive paper, paper prepared for photographic purpose by being rendered sensitive to the effect of light. Sensitive plant. (Bot.)
A leguminous plant ( Mimosa pudica, or M. sensitiva, and other allied species), the leaves of which close at the slightest touch.
Any plant showing motions after irritation, as the sensitive brier ( Schrankia) of the Southern States, two common American species of Cassia ( C. nictitans, and C. Cham[ae]crista), a kind of sorrel ( Oxalis sensitiva), etc. [1913 Webster] -- Sen"si*tive*ly, adv. -- Sen"si*tive*ness, n.
Wiktionary
adv. In a sensitive manner.
WordNet
adv. in a sensitive manner; "she questioned the rape victim very sensitively about the attack" [ant: insensitively]
Usage examples of "sensitively".
This is important, because the tympanum will move most sensitively if the air pressure is the same on both sides.
The few again: Educated people, sensitively organised, with superior mental endowments, who seek lofty planes of thought and find their contentment there.
She seats me across from her, makes sure that I don’t want any coffee or other refreshment, nods away her aide, commiserates with me again on the death of my dear friends (she had been there at the Memorial Service at which the President had spoken), chats with me for another minute about how amazing life is now with the Song connecting all of us, and then questions me for a few minutes, sensitively, solicitously, about my physical recovery (complete), my state of mind (shaken but improving), my generous stipend from the government (already invested), and my plans for the future.
Moreover I remembered sensitively his contemptuousness of manner to me at my last interview in his office.
One of them is explored in more detail, his weakness of character, his artistic interests, his dependence on a strong-willed wife delicately and sensitively presented, but not to such an extent that the conventional form of the mystery novel is endangered.
He glanced at the hand that held the brand, noticing the cunning delicacy of the fingers that gripped it, how they adjusted themselves to all the inequalities of the surface, curling over and under and about the rough wood, and one little finger, too close to the burning portion of the brand, sensitively and automatically writhing back from the hurtful heat to a cooler gripping-place.
Its skinny wrist terminated in a long, sensitively fingered hand which outspread was as large as Plennafrey's.