Sensu
Sensu is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular concept, but it also appears in expressions that indicate the convention or context of the usage.
Common qualifiers
Sensu is the ablative case of the noun sensus, here meaning "sense". It is often accompanied by an adjective (in the same case). Three such phrases are:
sensu stricto – "in the strict sense", abbreviation s.s.;
sensu lato – "in the wide or broad sense", abbreviation s.l.;
sensu amplo – "in a relaxed, generous (or 'ample') sense", a similar meaning to sensu lato.
Søren Kierkegaard uses the phrase sensu eminenti to mean "in the pre-eminent [or most important or significant] sense".
When appropriate, comparative and superlative adjectives may also be used to convey the meaning of "more" or "most". Thus sensu stricto becomes sensu strictiore ("in the stricter sense" or "more strictly speaking") and sensu strictissimo ("in the strictest sense" or "most strictly speaking").
