Some words often confuse us while writing because of the similarity in their meanings and usage in the sentences. The same thing happens with the words ‘Sentient or Sapient’ as both direct to the reaction in a human being’s functioning but people mostly get confused between them because of their similarity.
So, in this article, I will explain to you the difference between Sentient Or Sapient words and help you understand the correct usage of them.
Sentient Vs Sapient
· Meaning of Sentient
The word ‘Sentient’ means the ability to perceive or feel things. The word is derived from the Latin word ‘Sentientem’ which means ‘Feeling’.
Examples
Humans are not only sentient beings, elephants are also emotional and perspective mammals.
I love whales because they are highly sentient animals.
When my dog is happy, it shows its sentient features.
People think that snails are not very sentient and conscious animals because they barely move.
Meaning of Sapient
Sapient is an important feature of all human beings. It is the ability to use your brain and think of ideas. It is also the ability to use intelligence, wisdom, and common sense in dealing with people or situations.
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Examples
- My sapient mother always helps me in dealing with choosing better courses.
- When I need sapient advice on financial matters, I go to my accountant.
- Our sapient marriage counselor advised us to spend more time together.
- I hope the sapient jury is wise enough to make a good decision.
- She is a very sapient woman as she can make decisions for herself and her family.
A Quick Summary
In short, ‘Sentient’ means the ability to feel or perceive things while ‘Sapient’ means the ability to use the brain and think out ideas. Although, the words are confusing enough to be misplaced for one another because of their similarity. But one of the easiest ways to remember their meanings is to remember Homo sapiens (man) so man can think ideas, therefore ‘Sapient’ means the ability to think ideas using your brain.
A Final Tip
Most of the homophones (words that sound alike) in the English language can be confusing to learn so it is always better to check the dictionary before using the words which have the same spelling and pronunciation.
I hope this article was helpful and it has cleared all your doubts related to the words ‘Sapient’ and ‘Sentient’.
