sunsensitive

Sunsensitive is an infrequently used English adjective describing something that is not sensitive to sunlight. In common usage, the more established term for the opposite idea is photosensitive; sunsensitive thus functions as a thematic negation of that concept. The word is formed by combining sun with sensitive and is not widely standardized in medical or scientific dictionaries, but it appears in some technical or colloquial contexts as a way to contrast with light sensitivity.

In dermatology and medicine, sunsensitive is sometimes used to describe skin that does not exhibit abnormal reactions to sun exposure, such as erythema or sunburn. In this sense, sunsensitive would imply relative resistance to ultraviolet effects, though it is not a formal diagnostic label and individual responses to sunlight can vary widely.

In materials science and product formulation, sunsensitive can describe substances or coatings that show little or no photochemical change when exposed to sunlight, often because of stabilization or UV blockers. Conversely, materials described as photosensitive are those that react to light, including certain polymers, dyes, and photosensitive resins.

Because terminology varies across disciplines, readers should rely on context to interpret sunsensitive. In most technical writing, more precise terms like photosensitive, photostable, or UV-stable are preferred.

See also: photosensitivity, photostability, photochemical stability, sunscreen.