Senso

Senso is an Italian noun that denotes perception, feeling, or awareness, commonly translated as "sense" in English. It is used for the five senses—i cinque sensi—and for figurative meanings such as senso d'opportunità (sense of opportunity) or senso di colpa (sense of guilt). In linguistics and philosophy, senso refers to the sense or meaning of a sign or term, often contrasted with its referent; the distinctions senso proprio and senso figurato describe literal and figurative senses, respectively. The term derives from Latin sensus, from the verb sentire "to feel, perceive."

In everyday usage, senso is employed in compound phrases and idioms, for example "avere buon senso" (to have good sense) and "senso comune" (common sense). It also appears in scholarly discussions of semantics to distinguish sense from reference.

Senso is also the title of a 1954 Italian historical drama directed by Luchino Visconti. Set during the Third Italian War of Independence in the 1860s, it follows a Venetian noblewoman who becomes involved with an Austrian officer, with consequences shaped by passion, politics, and social norms. The film is noted for its lavish production design and color cinematography and is regarded as a landmark of postwar Italian cinema.

Beyond language and film, senso may appear as a surname and may be used in other cultural works as a title or descriptor.