Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SENTIENT
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connect today's word to others:
We can file sentient in our minds next to related words about thinking and feeling, like sense, sensation, sensational, sensitive, sentiment, assent, dissent, and consent.
To be sentient is to have consciousness: to be perceptive, to be aware, to think, to feel.
Speaking of sensing and feeling, see if you can recall a funny little verb that means "to express what you feel." It starts with E.
make your point with...
"SENTIENT"
"Sentient" means "having senses, or having a mind: able to think, able to feel, able to take in information through the senses." In other words, to be sentient is to be thinking, feeling, and alive.
That's the most common meaning. But sometimes, "sentient" means aware of things or paying close attention to things.
Pronunciation:
Several ways are correct. I prefer "SEN chunt."
Part of speech:
Adjective.
(Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late."
They can be used in two ways:
1. Right before a noun, as in "a sentient thing" or "a sentient person."
2. After a linking verb, as in "It was sentient" or "He was sentient.")
Other forms:
sentiently, sentience; insentient, insentience
How to use it:
We use "sentient" and its opposite "insentient" to contrast humans and animals with other real and imaginary beings and objects, like plants, bacteria, zombies, and machines, and to talk about when and how our species evolved the ability to think and feel--and when or if we'll develop technologies that do the same.
So, talk about sentient and insentient beings, sentient animals and creatures, people who are fully or partially sentient (or insentient), people who are treated as if they are insentient, objects and technologies that seem sentient or get treated as sentient, and, in stories, objects and technologies that become sentient.
examples:
Google couldn't give me a simple answer when I wanted to know if insects feel pain or fear, or if they're sentient. Regardless, it seems wrong to spray them with something that makes them writhe.
A Verizon sales rep tried to saddle us with a free Google Home, one of those voice-activated, wifi-connected, practically sentient speakers. They creep me out.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "sentient" means when you can explain it without saying "conscious" or "cognizant."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "_____ is still an insentient tool, unable to _____."
Example: "The spell checker is still an insentient tool, unable to differentiate between my mistakes and the shortcomings of its own dictionary."
before you review:
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
Our game this month is called Felicitous Names.
A felicitous name for a fictional character is a highly appropriate name, a name that fits that character so perfectly that you just know the writer picked it on purpose. This month, draw on your knowledge of both vocabulary and fiction to pick out the right name for the character described. Enjoy!
From our previous issue: This one was brought to my attention by Mark, a subscriber. Thanks, Mark! There's a whimsical, felicitous name for a supervillain who speaks in riddles. Is it D. Note, E. Nygma, or F. Frontery? Why?
Answer: In the world of DC Comics, it's not exactly an enigma when Edward Nygma (sometimes spelled Nigma), becomes the Riddler, one of Batman's nemeses.
Try this last one today: Let's finish up this game with one more villain. We need a felicitous name for someone suave, charming, and smooth-talking. Is it Dr. Decibel, Dr. Facilier, or Dr. Nefario? Why?
review today's word:
1. The exact opposite of SENTIENT is INSENTIENT.
But another opposite of SENTIENT could be
A. UNPRINCIPLED
B. INANIMATE
C. CRUEL
2. When we were kids, we treated our _____ as sentient, _____.
A. parents and teachers .. assuming they were all in constant contact
B. stuffed animals .. giving each a kiss good night so none would feel neglected
C. bikes .. knowing that to leave them outside to rust was to imperil our already-limited freedom to roam
Answers are below.
a final word:
Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From Liesl's blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Answers to review questions:
1. B
2. B
We can file sentient in our minds next to related words about thinking and feeling, like sense, sensation, sensational, sensitive, sentiment, assent, dissent, and consent.
"SENTIENT" "Sentient" means "having senses, or having a mind: able to think, able to feel, able to take in information through the senses." In other words, to be sentient is to be thinking, feeling, and alive. Part of speech: Other forms:
Google couldn't give me a simple answer when I wanted to know if insects feel pain or fear, or if they're sentient. Regardless, it seems wrong to spray them with something that makes them writhe.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "sentient" means when you can explain it without saying "conscious" or "cognizant."
Fill in the blanks: "_____ is still an insentient tool, unable to _____."
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
1. The exact opposite of SENTIENT is INSENTIENT.
Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |