sensitize: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Academic, Technical, Professional
Quick answer
What does “sensitize” mean?
To make someone or something aware of or responsive to certain issues, feelings, or physical stimuli.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To make someone or something aware of or responsive to certain issues, feelings, or physical stimuli.
To cause an individual, group, or material to become more susceptible, reactive, or attuned to specific conditions, whether social, emotional, or chemical. In medicine, it can mean to make an individual allergic to a substance.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. British English also commonly accepts the spelling 'sensitise', though 'sensitize' is standard in technical/scientific writing globally. American English uses 'sensitize' exclusively.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties.
Frequency
Similar frequency in both varieties, with higher usage in academic, medical, and social science contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “sensitize” in a Sentence
[NP] sensitize [NP] to [NP] (e.g., The course sensitized managers to cultural differences.)[NP] sensitize [NP] against [NP] (e.g., The campaign sensitized the community against hate speech.)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “sensitize” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The documentary sought to sensitise viewers to the plight of refugees.
- Repeated exposure can sensitise the skin to sunlight.
American English
- The workshop sensitized managers to unconscious bias.
- The allergen may sensitize the patient, causing future reactions.
adjective
British English
- A sensitised surface (e.g., in photography).
- A more sensitised approach to customer needs.
American English
- A sensitized surface (e.g., in photography).
- A more sensitized approach to customer needs.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Training programmes are used to sensitize new employees to the company's ethical policies.
Academic
The study aims to sensitize participants to implicit biases in decision-making.
Everyday
Travelling abroad can sensitize you to different ways of life.
Technical
The chemical process will sensitize the photographic film to light.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “sensitize”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “sensitize”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sensitize”
- Incorrect: *I sensitized about the issue. (Correct: I was sensitized to the issue / The course sensitized me to the issue.)
- Incorrect: *sensitize for something. (Correct: sensitize to/against something.)
- Incorrect spelling in BrE: Using 'sensitize' in strictly '-ise' preference contexts might be marked, though both are accepted.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The noun form is 'sensitization' (or 'sensitisation' in British English).
Yes, particularly in medical/biological contexts. For example, 'The bee sting sensitized him, so the next sting could cause a severe allergic reaction.'
'Sensitize to' is more common and neutral, meaning to make aware of. 'Sensitize against' implies making aware in order to foster opposition or resistance (e.g., sensitize the public against fraud).
The most direct antonym is 'desensitize', which means to make less sensitive or reactive.
To make someone or something aware of or responsive to certain issues, feelings, or physical stimuli.
Sensitize is usually formal, academic, technical, professional in register.
Sensitize: in British English it is pronounced /ˈsɛnsɪtaɪz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsɛnsəˌtaɪz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To sensitize someone's conscience”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'SENSE-it-ize' – you are making someone use their 'sense' or awareness about something.
Conceptual Metaphor
AWARENESS IS A SENSITIZED SURFACE (e.g., 'sensitized to nuances', 'sensitized conscience').
Practice
Quiz
In a medical context, what does it mean if a patient becomes 'sensitized' to a drug?