Meanings
plural proprioceptions
- countableuncountableThe sense of the position of parts of the body, relative to other neighbouring parts of the body.
Sometimes referred to as our sixth sense, proprioception is what helps high-level athletes take a penalty without looking at the ball, or orient themselves in the air while doing a twisting somersault.
2024 July 18, Joel Snape, “The power of proprioception: how to improve your ‘sixth sense’ – and become healthier and happier”, in The Guardian, →ISSN1 more example
[…] it is achieved through a neuromuscular feedback system known as proprioception or kinaesthetic awareness, as well as through an auditory control system in which the ear monitors the sound and makes […]
2003, James Stark, Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy, University of Toronto Press, →ISBN, page 30Synonyms: kinesthesia, sixth sense
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe sense of the position of parts of the body, relative to other neighbouring parts of the body.
Origin
From proprioceptor, from Latin proprius (“one's own”) + reception. Coined by British neurophysiologist Charles Scott Sherrington in 1906.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan propiocepció
- propiocepciósense of the position of parts of the body
Chinese Mandarin 本體感覺 /本体感觉, 本體感受 /本体感受
- 本體感覺 /本体感觉 (běntǐ gǎnjué)sense of the position of parts of the body
- 本體感受 /本体感受 (běntǐgǎnshòu)sense of the position of parts of the body
Danish proprioception
- proprioceptionsense of the position of parts of the body
Dutch proprioceptie
- proprioceptiesense of the position of parts of the body
Esperanto propriocepto, proprioceptado
- proprioceptosense of the position of parts of the body
- proprioceptadosense of the position of parts of the body
Estonian propriotseptsioon
- propriotseptsioonsense of the position of parts of the body
Finnish asentoaisti, proprioseptiikka
- asentoaistisense of the position of parts of the body
- proprioseptiikkasense of the position of parts of the body
- proprioseptiosense of the position of parts of the body
French proprioception
- proprioceptionsense of the position of parts of the body
German Propriozeption, Tiefensensibilität
- Propriozeptionsense of the position of parts of the body
- Tiefensensibilitätsense of the position of parts of the body
Greek ιδιοδεκτικότητα
- ιδιοδεκτικότητα (idiodektikótita)sense of the position of parts of the body
Hungarian propriocepció, izom helyzetérzékelés
- propriocepciósense of the position of parts of the body
- izom helyzetérzékeléssense of the position of parts of the body
- ízületi helyzetérzékeléssense of the position of parts of the body
- ízületi és izom mozgás- és helyzetérzékeléssense of the position of parts of the body
- ízületi és izom mozgásérzékeléssense of the position of parts of the body
- izom mozgásérzékeléssense of the position of parts of the body
- ízületi mozgásérzékeléssense of the position of parts of the body
Italian propriocezione
- propriocezionesense of the position of parts of the body
Korean 심부감각
- 심부감각 (simbugamgak)sense of the position of parts of the body
Norwegian propriosepsjon
- propriosepsjonsense of the position of parts of the body
Polish propriocepcja
- propriocepcjasense of the position of parts of the body
Portuguese propriocepção
- propriocepçãosense of the position of parts of the body
Russian кинестезия, проприоце́пция
- кинестезия (kinestezija)sense of the position of parts of the body
- проприоце́пция (propriocépcija)sense of the position of parts of the body
Spanish propiocepción, propriocepción
- propiocepciónsense of the position of parts of the body
- propriocepciónsense of the position of parts of the body
Swedish proprioception
- proprioceptionsense of the position of parts of the body
Ukrainian пропріоце́пція
- пропріоце́пція (propriocépcija)sense of the position of parts of the body
Cite this entry
proprioception. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/proprioception
“proprioception.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/proprioception. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “proprioception,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/proprioception.
Source: proprioception on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.