adverb
sēnsim
sēnsim (not comparable)
Classical[ˈsẽː.sĩː]Ecclesiastical[ˈsɛn.sim]
Meaning
- not comparablegradually, slowly, gently, gingerly
Progredientibus autem aetatibus sensim tardeve potius quasi nosmet ipsos cognoscimus.
45 BCE, Cicero, De finibus bonorum et malorum 5.41
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
paulātim, gradātimsēnsim — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 11
paulātim, gradū lentōsēnsim — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 6
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Paulatim · Sensim · Gradatim · Pedetentim
Paulatim and sensim represent gradual motion under the image of an imperceptible progress; paulatim, by little and little, in opp. to semel, at once, Sen. Q. N. ii. 8. Cœl. Aurel. Acut. ii. 37; sensim, (ἀνεσίμως) imperceptibly in opp. to repente; Cic. Off. i. 33. Suet. Tib. 11;—whereas gradatim and pedetentim, under the image of a self-conscious progress; gradatim, step by step, like βάδην, in opp. to cursim, saltuatim, etc.; whereas pedetentim denotes at a foot’s pace, in opp. to curru, equo, volatu, velis. (iii. 97.)
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- gradum sensim referre
- to retreat step by step.
sensim, adv. sentio (prop. sensibly, i. e. perceptibly, observably, visibly; hence, as opp. to what is unforeseen, unexpected, sudden),
I. slowly, gently, soflly, gradually (freq. and class.; syn.: paulatim, pedetemptim;
opp. repente): sensim tardeve potius quasi nosmet ipsos cognoscimus, Cic. Fin. 5, 15, 41: sensim et pedetemptim, Lucil. ap. Non. 29, 7; cf.: sensim et pedetemptim progrediens extenuatur dolor, Cic. Tusc. 3, 22, 54: sensim pedetemptimque ... sensim dissuere amicitias, id. Off. 1, 33, 120: ille sensim dicebat, quod causae prodesset, tu cursim dicis aliena, id. Phil. 2, 17, 42: submissius a primo, post sensim incedens, id. Or. 8, 26; Liv. 10, 5: sensim sine sensu aetas senescit (an alliteration), Cic. Sen. 11, 38: non sensim atque moderate arrepserat, sed brevi tempore totum hominem possederat, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 68, § 158: animos sensim ac leniter accendere, id. Cael. 11, 25: leniter et sensim, Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 14; so (with modice) Plin. 5, 9, 10, § 57; (with placide) Gell. 5, 14, 11; (with comiter) id. 13, 4, 3; (with paulatim) Plin. Ep. 4, 30, 4; Gell. 12, 1, 22: sensim super attolle limen pedes, nova nupta, Plaut. Cas. 4, 4, 1: consuetudo sensim eo deducta est, ut, Cic. Off. 2, 3, 9: vocem cubantes sensim excitant, id. de Or. 1, 59, 251: minuere, id. Off. 2, 8, 27: memoria sensim obscurata est et evanuit, id. de Or. 2, 23, 95: sed sensim is a nonnullis reprehendebatur, Nep. Att. 9: sensim temptantium animos sermo, Liv. 2, 2; cf.: mentio sensim illata, id. 4, 1: non jam sensim, ut ante, principes, sed passim omnes postulat, id. 2, 45: sensim incedere jubet, id. 10, 5: sensim et sapienter amare, Ov. A. A. 3, 565: parce gaudere oportet et sensim queri, Phaedr. 4, 16, 9.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
sēnsim adv.
sentio, just perceptibly, gradually, by degrees, little by little, slowly, gently, softly : progrediens: sensim dicebat, quod causae prodesset: incedere, step by step , L.: sensim sine sensu aetas senescit: oritur (seditio) sensim ex clamore: mentio inlata, L.: sensim et sapienter amare, O.: queri, Ph.
Origins
Proto-Indo-European *-tim Proto-Italic *-tim Latin -tim Latin sēnsim From sentiō (“discern, perceive”) + -tim.