state of elementary or undifferentiated consciousness
<noun.cognition> the crash intruded on his awareness
the faculty through which the external world is apprehended
<noun.cognition> in the dark he had to depend on touch and on his senses of smell and hearing
the readiness to perceive sensations; elementary or undifferentiated consciousness
<noun.attribute> gave sentience to slugs and newts
Sentience \Sen"ti*ence\, Sentiency \Sen"ti*en*cy\, n. [See {Sentient}, {Sentence}.] The quality or state of being sentient; esp., the quality or state of having sensation. --G. H. Lewes.
An example of harmonious action between the intelligence and the sentiency of the mind. --Earle.