insensate

/ɪnˈsɛn.sət/

//ɪnˈsɛn.sət// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"insensate" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“insensate” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Having no sensation or consciousness; unconscious; inanimate.

Corpus desk

Index EN-insensate · insensate · English

insensate · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "I" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for insensate
PropertyValue
Headwordinsensate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˈsɛn.sət/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “insensate” sits in English frequency

insensateranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

insensate is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ɪnˈsɛn.sət/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for insensate, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin īnsēnsātus. The correct English form is insensate, spelled I-N-S-E-N-S-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having no sensation or consciousness; unconscious; inanimate.
  2. 2
    Senseless; foolish; irrational; thoughtless.
  3. 3
    Unfeeling, heartless, cruel, insensitive.
  4. 4
    Not responsive to sensory stimuli; unfeeling.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how insensate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Since thus divided — equal must it be If the deep barrier be of earth, or sea; It may be both — but one day end it must In the dark union of insensate dust.
  2. If I might be Insensate matter With sensate me Sitting within, Harking and prying, I might begin To dicker with dying.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin īnsēnsātus.

This word in other languages

inconsciente(Español)insensé(Français)unsinnig(Deutsch)desumano(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "insensate"?
"insensate" is spelled I-N-S-E-N-S-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈsɛn.sət/.
What does "insensate" mean?
As an adjective, "insensate" means: Having no sensation or consciousness; unconscious; inanimate.
How do you pronounce "insensate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "insensate" is /ɪnˈsɛn.sət/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "insensate"?
Learned borrowing from Latin īnsēnsātus. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

What to do next

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Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list