Synesthesia
/ˌsɪn.əsˈθiː.ʒə/noun
A neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sense involuntarily triggers another, such as seeing colors when hearing sounds.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek roots meaning “together” + “perception,” and it was first used in modern science for a real sensory condition before artists turned it into a symbol of mystical cross-sensory vision.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
synaisthēsis
“joint perception or united sensation”
Late Greek
Greek
synaisthēsia
“shared sensation or perception”
19th Century
French/English
synesthésie
“a term used in scientific writing for combined sensory perception”
Modern English
English
synesthesia
“a condition in which one sense automatically triggers another”
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