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Sensible vs Reasonable - What's the difference?

sensible | reasonable |

Reasonable is a synonym of sensible.



As adjectives the difference between sensible and reasonable

is that sensible is perceptible by the senses while reasonable is having the faculty of reason; endued with reason; rational.

As a noun sensible

is sensation; sensibility.

sensible

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Perceptible by the senses.
  • * Arbuthnot
    • Air is sensible to the touch by its motion.
  • * 1778 , William Lewis, The New Dispensatory (page 91)
    • The sensible qualities of argentina promise no great virtue of this kind; for to the taste it discovers only a slight roughishness, from whence it may be presumed to be entitled to a place only among the milder corroborants.
  • * 1902 , William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience , Folio Society 2008, page 45:
    • It has been vouchsafed, for example, to very few Christian believers to have had a sensible vision of their Saviour.
  • Easily perceived; appreciable.
  • * Sir W. Temple
    • The disgrace was more sensible than the pain.
  • * Adam Smith
    • The discovery of the mines of America does not seem to have had any very sensible effect upon the prices of things in England.
  • (archaic) Able to feel or perceive.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Would your cambric were sensible as your finger.
  • (archaic) Liable to external impression; easily affected; sensitive.
    • a sensible thermometer
  • * Shakespeare
    • with affection wondrous sensible
  • Of or pertaining to the senses; sensory.
  • (archaic) Cognizant; having the perception of something; aware of something.
  • * John Locke
    • He cannot think at any time, waking or sleeping, without being sensible of it.
  • * Addison
    • They are now sensible it would have been better to comply than to refuse.
  • Acting with or showing good sense; able to make good judgements based on reason.
  • * 2005 , .
    • They ask questions of someone who thinks he's got something sensible to say on some matter when actually he hasn't.
  • Characterized more by usefulness or practicality than by fashionableness, especially of clothing.
  • * 1999 , Neil Gaiman, Stardust (2001 Perennial Edition), page 8,
    • They would walk, on fair evenings, around the village, and discuss the theory of crop rotation, and the weather, and other such sensible matters.

    Usage notes

    * "Sensible" describes the reasonable way in which a person may think'' about things or ''do things: *: It wouldn't be sensible to start all over again now. * "Sensitive" describes an emotional way in which a person may react to things: *: He has always been a sensitive child. *: I didn’t realize she was so sensitive about her work.

    Related terms

    * sense * sensory * sensual * sensuous * supersensible

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) Sensation; sensibility.
  • * Milton
    • Our temper changed which must needs remove the sensible of pain.
  • (obsolete) That which impresses itself on the senses; anything perceptible.
  • * Krauth-Fleming
    • Aristotle distinguished sensibles into common and proper.
  • (obsolete) That which has sensibility; a sensitive being.
  • * Burton
    • This melancholy extends itself not to men only, but even to vegetals and sensibles .

    External links

    * * * ----

    reasonable

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Having the faculty of reason; endued with reason; rational.
    • a reasonable being
  • Just; fair; agreeable to reason.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=May 27 , author=Nathan Rabin , title=TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992) , work=The Onion AV Club citation , page= , passage=The episode also opens with an inspired bit of business for Homer, who blithely refuses to acquiesce to an elderly neighbor’s utterly reasonable request that he help make the process of selling her house easier by wearing pants when he gallivants about in front of windows, throw out his impressive collection of rotting Jack-O-Lanterns from previous Halloweens and take out his garbage, as it’s attracting wildlife (cue moose and Northern Exposure theme song).}}
  • Not excessive or immoderate; within due limits; proper.
    • a reasonable demand, amount, or price
  • Not expensive; fairly priced.
    • $20 a bottle is very reasonable for a good wine at a restaurant.
  • Satisfactory.

    • Antonyms

    * arbitrary * unreasonable