photo-sensitivity
|pho-to-sen-si-tiv-i-ty|
🇺🇸
/ˌfoʊtəʊsɛnˈsɪtɪvɪti/
🇬🇧
/ˌfəʊtəʊsɛnˈsɪtɪvɪti/
sensitivity to light
Etymology
'photo-sensitivity' is a modern compound formed from the combining form 'photo-' (from Greek 'phōtós' meaning 'light') and the noun 'sensitivity' (from Latin/French roots meaning 'capacity to feel').
'photo-' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'phōtós' meaning 'light'; 'sensitivity' derives from Latin 'sensus' (feeling) via Late Latin/Old French forms and Middle English 'sensitive' + the noun-forming suffix '-ity', and these elements were combined in English to form the compound 'photo-sensitivity'.
Individually, 'photo-' meant 'light' and 'sensitivity' meant 'capacity to feel or react'; combined, they came to mean 'a capacity to react to light' (i.e., sensitivity to light), a meaning that has remained stable in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an increased or abnormal sensitivity to light (in biological/medical contexts), causing symptoms such as skin rashes, pain, or eye discomfort on exposure to light.
Some patients developed photo-sensitivity as a side effect of the medication.
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Noun 2
the degree to which a material (such as photographic film, a sensor, or a photosensitive chemical) responds to light — essentially its sensitivity to light exposure.
The film's photo-sensitivity determines how much light is needed for a correct exposure.
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Last updated: 2025/10/17 20:26