Sence or Sense

The word sense has multiple meanings. It can function as a verb, meaning "to feel," or as a noun, referring to concepts such as "good judgment," "awareness," "vague impression," or "particular meaning." Sense can also be used to denote one of the five senses (i.e., sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing).

Some people mistakenly spell sense as "sence," but this spelling is incorrect and should be avoided. While some words with a similar sound may be spelled with a "c" (such as "fence"), sense is always spelled with an "s."

Examples of Sense and sence in a sentence

• I have a sense of dread about the upcoming exam.
• He lost his sense of smell after a bad cold.

Make(s) sense

The phrase "make(s) sense" is commonly used to indicate that something is reasonable or logical. It can be modified with a quantifier, such as "a lot of," to add emphasis or clarify the meaning. However, "make(s) sence" with a "c" is never grammatically correct and should be avoided.

Examples of Make(s) sense in a sentence

• The instructions for assembling the furniture finally make sense to me.
• It makes sense to invest in renewable energy for the long-term benefit of the planet.
• After reviewing the data, it didn't make sense to proceed with the project.

Make sense of

The expression "make sense of" means to understand something, and it's used as a transitive verb with the direct object being the thing that's being understood. It's important to note that the spelling "make sence of" is never correct.

Examples of “Make sense of” in a sentence

• I'm trying to make sense of this complicated math problem, but it's difficult.
• She couldn't make sense of the instructions, so she asked for help.
• It took me a while to make sense of the foreign language, but I eventually understood the basics.

More uses of sense

Sense is employed in various idiomatic expressions. In each instance, it must be written as "sense" and not as "sence."

Expression	Meaning
Common sense	Good judgment and practical intelligence
Sense of humor	Ability to appreciate and make jokes
Sense of direction	Ability to navigate and find one's way
Sense of taste	Ability to distinguish and enjoy different flavors
Sense of smell	Ability to detect and identify different odors
Sense of touch	Ability to perceive and feel pressure, texture, temperature, and pain
Sixth sense	Intuition or ability to perceive something beyond the five senses
Sense of purpose	Meaning or aim in life
Sense of urgency	Feeling of importance and urgency in completing a task or solving a problem
Sense of identity	Understanding of oneself as a unique individual
Sense of community	Feeling of belonging and connection to a group of people or a particular place
Sense of responsibility	Obligation or duty to take care of oneself and others, and to act in a morally right way
Sense of adventure	Desire for exciting and new experiences
Sense of accomplishment	Feeling of satisfaction and pride in achieving a goal or completing a task
Sense of satisfaction	Feeling of contentment and happiness with a situation or achievement

Frequently asked questions

1. What is a synonym for “sense”?

There exist many words that are synonymous or nearly synonymous with the different senses of the term "sense."

Feel (verb)	Judgment (noun)	Vague impression (noun)
perceive	discernment	hunch
detect	prudence	inkling
experience	wisdom	notion
grasp	sagacity	suspicion
comprehend	astuteness	intuition

2. What is a synonym for “make sense”?

Here are some synonyms and near synonyms for "make sense":

• Be logical
• Be reasonable
• Add up
• Comprehend
• Grasp
• Understand
• Follow
• Ring true
• Hold water
• Click with

3. What is a synonym for “make sense of”?

Some synonyms and near synonyms for make sense of include:

• Comprehend
• Understand
• Figure out
• Decode
• Grasp
• Fathom
• Interpret
• Make sense out of
• Make heads or tails of