Sensational

How to spell sensational

11 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce sensational

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does sensational mean?

1. adjectiveExtremely good, impressive, or striking.
2. adjectiveDesigned to cause intense public interest, excitement, or shock, often in a deliberately exaggerated way.

Sensational in a sentence

• The restaurant served a sensational three-course meal for under twenty pounds.

• The tabloid ran a sensational headline about the politician's private life.

• Reviewers called her debut album absolutely sensational.

• The trial attracted sensational coverage across every news channel.

Where does sensational come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb sentire, meaning 'to feel' or 'to perceive', which gave the noun sensus, 'feeling' or 'perception'. From sensus, Medieval Latin built sensatio, the act of perceiving, which English borrowed as 'sensation' in the 1600s. The adjective 'sensational' was coined in the early 1800s, at first in a fairly technical sense relating to sensation or the senses. By the middle of the nineteenth century it had picked up its now familiar meaning of producing a startling, exciting effect, particularly in the press, where 'sensational' journalism aimed to stir strong feelings. The same sentire root sits inside everyday relatives such as 'sense', 'sentiment', and 'consent', and remembering that 'sense' core helps fix the opening 'sens-' of the spelling.

How the word is built

• sens (from sentire: to feel, perceive)
• -ation (noun-forming suffix)
• -al (adjective suffix)