Sentients

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An intelligent being capable of perceiving and experiencing subjective sensations and emotions
2. A conscious entity possessing awareness, emotions, and the ability to think independently
3. A life form exhibiting self-awareness and the capacity for complex thoughts and feelings

Etymology: "Sentients" is the plural of "sentient", which descends from the Latin verb "sentire", meaning "to feel" or "to perceive". The adjective "sentient" comes from the present participle "sentiens", "feeling, perceiving", so the word was built around the act of sensing rather than around thinking or reasoning. That sensory root explains why the term sits close to "sense" and "sentiment" in English, both of which come from the same Latin verb. In modern use, the noun "sentients" is a plural for beings that can experience feelings and awareness, so the word's focus has shifted from simple sensation to conscious experience. The sense of "sentient" as a capable of feeling appears in English in a form that is still close to its Latin origin.

Synonyms: beings, creatures, entities