Easily affected by small changes or signals, such as a sensitive instrument or skin. It can also describe a person who feels emotions strongly or is easily hurt by what others say or do.
From Latin 'sensitivus' meaning 'capable of feeling', from 'sentire' meaning 'to feel'. It entered English in scientific and emotional senses around the 18th century.
The same word covers both delicate machines and delicate feelings, which shows how we think of people like instruments that can be finely tuned or easily overloaded. Being 'sensitive' isn’t just weakness; it also means being able to pick up tiny details others miss.
In many languages, 'sensitive' has been stereotypically applied to women to suggest emotional excess or fragility, while men's emotional responses were framed as strength or rational concern. This gendered pattern reinforced norms that discouraged men from expressing emotion and dismissed women's reactions as overreactions.
Use 'sensitive' consistently across genders for both emotional and technical contexts, and be specific (e.g., 'sensitive to feedback', 'emotionally attuned') rather than implying weakness.
["emotionally attuned","responsive","perceptive","highly calibrated","finely tuned"]
Recognize that emotional sensitivity and social perception are key skills in leadership, caregiving, diplomacy, and research, where women and gender-diverse people have historically contributed but been dismissed as merely 'too sensitive'.
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