sentience
noun
sen·tience
ˈsen(t)-sh(ē-)ən(t)s 
ˈsen-tē-ən(t)s
1
: a sentient quality or state
2
: feeling or sensation as distinguished from perception and thought
Examples of sentience in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The scene takes place in 2014, well away from the singularity of robot sentience, but at that point in Harrison’s compressed yet expansive drama, the idea of an artificial intelligence ingratiating itself into a human family already feels eerie.
—
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2025
The court failed to make a decision Tuesday that respected their intelligence and sentience.
—Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
In animals, sentience is the capacity to experience sensations and emotions such as pain, pleasure and fear.
—Conor Purcell, Scientific American, 17 Jan. 2025
To clarify, this does not somehow anoint contemporary AI with having sentience.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
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Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2025
The court failed to make a decision Tuesday that respected their intelligence and sentience.
—Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
In animals, sentience is the capacity to experience sensations and emotions such as pain, pleasure and fear.
—Conor Purcell, Scientific American, 17 Jan. 2025
To clarify, this does not somehow anoint contemporary AI with having sentience.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for sentience
Dictionary Entries Near sentience
Cite this Entry
“Sentience.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sentience. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
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