sensible

IPA/ˈsensəbl/
KK[sˈɛnsəbəl]IPA/ˈsensəbl/

sensible — adjective

  • sensiblepositive
  • more sensiblecomparative
  • most sensiblesuperlative

1. showing the wisdom that comes from careful thinking and real-life experience

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

showing the wisdom that comes from careful thinking and real-life experience

Example

William decided it was sensible to save part of his salary each month for emergencies.

pattern: it is sensible to + infinitive (giving advice/recommendation)

Lara made a sensible choice by taking the earlier train to avoid the rush-hour crowds.

collocation: a sensible choice / decision

Common collocations
  • sensible choice
  • sensible decision
  • sensible thing
  • sensible person
  • sensible approach
  • sensible suggestion
  • sensible advice
  • perfectly sensible
Synonyms
  • reasonable

    focuses on fairness and logic rather than practical experience; 'a reasonable price'

  • practical

    emphasises real-world usefulness over theory; 'a practical solution'

  • rational

    more formal, stressing logical thinking without emotional influence; 'a rational argument'

  • wise

    implies deeper life experience and broader judgment; 'a wise old woman'

Antonyms
  • foolish

    lacking good sense or judgment

  • unwise

    not showing careful thought; less strong than foolish

Grammar Patterns

it is sensible to + infinitive

sensible + noun (choice, decision, person)

be + sensible

Usage Note

Commonly used with impersonal it: 'It is sensible to wear a helmet.' Can describe a person ('She is very sensible') or a thing ('That is a sensible plan'). The opposite is foolish or unwise, not 'insensible'.

Common Mistakes

She is a sensitive person who always makes good decisions.
She is a sensible person who always makes good decisions.
sensitive means easily affected by emotions or outside stimuli; sensible means practical and reasonable.

2. chosen or designed to be practical, comfortable, and useful for a particular act

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

chosen or designed to be practical, comfortable, and useful for a particular activity, rather than to look fashionable or attractive

Example

Yael wore sensible walking boots for the trip through the muddy forest trail.

collocation: sensible shoes / boots

Faisal packed a sensible waterproof jacket instead of a designer coat for the camping trip.

Common collocations
  • sensible shoes
  • sensible clothes
  • sensible jacket
  • sensible bag
  • sensible haircut
  • sensible uniform
Synonyms
  • practical

    broader; 'a practical jacket' could mean it has useful features beyond just comfort and durability

  • functional

    more neutral; emphasises that something serves its intended purpose well

  • serviceable

    suggests durability and adequate performance, often used for work clothes

Antonyms
  • fashionable

    following current trends, often at the expense of comfort or practicality

  • stylish

    attractive in appearance, which can conflict with practical design

Grammar Patterns

sensible + clothing noun (shoes, clothes, jacket)

be + sensible (of an item)

Usage Note

Applies almost exclusively to clothing, shoes, bags, and equipment. Can connote a mild contrast with stylish: calling something 'sensible' may imply it is not fashionable, though this connotation is softening in modern use.

Common Mistakes

Bring your sensitive shoes for the long walk.
Bring your sensible shoes for the long walk.
sensitive shoes would mean shoes that feel pain or react to stimuli, which makes no sense.

3. having understanding or knowledge of a particular situation, feeling, or fact; a

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

having understanding or knowledge of a particular situation, feeling, or fact; aware of something in a thoughtful way

Example

The senator was sensible of the public's growing anger about the proposed tax increase.

pattern: sensible of + [abstract noun]

Sade was fully sensible of the risk she was taking by leaving her steady job at the bank.

adverb modifier: fully / keenly sensible of

Common collocations
  • sensible of
  • fully sensible of
  • keenly sensible of
  • acutely sensible of
Synonyms
  • aware

    modern and neutral; 'aware of the problem' is far more common in everyday English

  • conscious

    suggests a slightly more active mental awareness; 'conscious of her responsibility'

  • cognizant

    very formal, mostly used in legal or official writing

Antonyms
  • unaware

    not having knowledge or understanding of something

  • oblivious

    not noticing something that should be obvious

Grammar Patterns

sensible of + noun/gerund

fully/keenly sensible of

Usage Note

This sense is formal and increasingly rare in everyday speech. It is almost always followed by of (not about) and often modified by an adverb such as fully, keenly, or acutely. Modern English prefers aware of in most contexts.

Common Mistakes

He was sensible about the danger.
He was sensible of the danger.
this sense uses of, not about.

4. large, strong, or clear enough to be noticed or felt through the senses

4.adjectiveC1
Definition

large, strong, or clear enough to be noticed or felt through the senses

Example

João noticed a sensible drop in the bath water temperature after he had been soaking for twenty minutes.

collocation: a sensible + [observable physical effect]

Roya felt a sensible tremor run through the floorboards whenever a heavy truck passed her apartment.

Common collocations
  • sensible difference
  • sensible improvement
  • sensible increase
  • sensible chill
  • sensible change
Synonyms
  • noticeable

    the everyday replacement for this sense; 'a noticeable improvement'

  • perceptible

    more technical, especially in scientific writing; 'a barely perceptible change'

  • significant

    emphasises importance as well as size; 'a significant increase'

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

a sensible + noun

be + sensible

Usage Note

This sense is now very rare in modern English except in formal or literary writing. The word noticeable, perceptible, or significant is preferred in everyday speech. Distinguish from sense 1: a 'sensible difference' does not mean 'a wise difference' — it means 'a difference large enough to notice.'

Common Mistakes

There was a wise difference in quality.
There was a sensible difference in quality.
In this very formal sense, sensible means noticeable, not wise.

sensible — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Sensible, reasonable, practical, rational, and logical all describe good thinking, but each emphasises a different quality. Sensible is the broadest everyday word: it means using common sense and real-world experience to make sound decisions — 'wearing a helmet is sensible.' Reasonable focuses on fairness and moderation: a reasonable person listens to both sides and does not make extreme demands. Practical stresses usefulness and what works in reality: a practical solution might not be perfect but gets the job done. Rational emphasises thinking based on logic and facts, with emotions set aside: 'a rational analysis of the costs.' Logical refers strictly to the internal structure of an argument — it is possible to be logical and still be wrong if the starting point is false. For daily conversation, sensible covers most situations. Use reasonable when talking about fair expectations or prices, practical for approaches that actually work, and rational when you want to highlight logical thinking over emotional reaction.

sensible ↗reasonable ↗practical ↗rational ↗logical ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • sensible attitude
  • sensible precaution
  • common-sense

Prepositions

  • of (sense 3 only)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Sensible comes from the Latin word sensibilis, meaning 'that can be felt or perceived by the senses.' This was formed from sentire ('to feel, perceive, think') plus the suffix -bilis ('able to'). It entered English through Old French in the 14th century with the original meaning 'perceptible to the senses' — now sense 4 of the adjective. Over the next 200 years, the meaning broadened: by the 16th century, sensible was being used to mean 'having good sense or sound judgment' (the modern core sense 1), based on the idea that a sensible person is someone who can 'feel' or 'perceive' what the right course of action is.