sensate

/ˈsɛn.seɪt/

//ˈsɛn.seɪt// adj

"sensate" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sensate” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Perceived by one or more of the senses.

Key facts for sensate
PropertyValue
Headwordsensate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈsɛn.seɪt/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sensate” sits in English frequency

sensate falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for sensate is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɛn.seɪt/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for sensate, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English sensat, from Late Latin sensatus (“able to sense”), from sensus (“sense”). The correct English form is sensate, spelled S-E-N-S-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Perceived by one or more of the senses.
  2. 2
    Having the ability to sense things physically.
  3. 3
    Felt or apprehended through a sense, or the senses.

Etymology

From Middle English sensat, from Late Latin sensatus (“able to sense”), from sensus (“sense”).

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 "sensate"?
"sensate" is spelled S-E-N-S-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɛn.seɪt/.
What does "sensate" mean?
As an adjective, "sensate" means: Perceived by one or more of the senses.
How do you pronounce "sensate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sensate" is /ˈsɛn.seɪt/. 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 "sensate"?
From Middle English sensat, from Late Latin sensatus (“able to sense”), from sensus (“sense”). 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.

Using “sensate”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-E-N-S-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsɛn.seɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list