Synesthetic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing a unique condition where activation of one sensory system invokes responses in different sensory modalities, leading to blended sensory experiences
2. Pertaining to a phenomenon in which sensory input in one domain involuntarily triggers sensations in another, creating a multi-faceted perception of reality
3. Relating to a condition whereby stimulation of one sensory aspect causes experiences in another, resulting in a unique overlap of sensations and perceptions

Etymology: "Synesthetic" is simply the American spelling of "synaesthetic," the adjective for the condition in which one sense is perceived through another, such as hearing colours or tasting shapes. The word is built from two Greek parts: "syn," meaning "together," and "aisthesis," meaning "perception" or "sensation." Put together, they describe senses that act together, or in the Greek sense, a perception shared across the senses. The underlying noun, "synaesthesia," follows the same pattern, and the adjective adds the familiar "-tic" ending that turns a noun into a description. Because the word is formed from Greek elements in the way scientific and medical terms usually are, its spelling varies between the British "ae" form and the American "e" form, with the meaning unchanged.