sensawunda
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Wonder or excitement invoked by the grandeur and vision of science fiction.
Register: dated, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
How does a non-science fiction writer write science fiction? We had a taste with John Hersey's WHITE LOTUS and MY PETITION FOR MORE SPACE and discovered that future visions could be presented with such reality and simplicity that our sensawunda could be thrown away and we could discover, instead, de
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “sensawunda” mean?
Wonder or excitement invoked by the grandeur and vision of science fiction.
Is “sensawunda” formal or informal?
sensawunda is generally dated, slang.