sensitivo

Sensitivo is an adjective used in Italian and Spanish to describe someone or something that is sensitive, perceptive, or easily affected by stimuli. In Italian, sensitivo also functions as a noun: a person who is highly sensitive or who is believed to have heightened perceptive abilities. In popular culture and folklore, sensitivo can refer to a person who claims extrasensory perception or other paranormal powers; in such contexts the term is often linked to mediums and psychics. The etymology traces to Latin sensus meaning sense or feeling, via the Italian form sensitivo; related terms include sensibile (sensitive) and sensibilità or sensibilidad (sensitivity) in the respective languages.

In usage, sensitivo as an adjective can describe emotional responsiveness, artistic sensibility, or acute perceptiveness, while more neutral alternatives include sensibile or percettivo. The noun sense is more specialized and colloquial, frequently found in fiction, journalism, or spiritual communities rather than scientific discourse. In English-language contexts, sensitivo is uncommon and typically encountered only as a loanword or in reference to Italian or Spanish sources; the intended meaning is conveyed by phrases such as a highly sensitive person or a psychic/medium, depending on the context.