Distinguishing Between Since & Sense

The key difference between since and sense is that since is a preposition, conjunction, and an adverb, indicating a cause or a time period while sense is a noun and a verb, mainly referring to a faculty by which the body perceives an external stimulus. Although some English learners confuse these two words since their spellings and pronunciations are somewhat similar, these two words are never interchangeable.

Key Takeaways

• Since acts as a preposition, conjunction, and adverb, indicating a cause or a time period.
• Sense acts as both a verb and noun, referring to a faculty by which the body perceives an external stimulus.
• Since and sense are not interchangeable and have different meanings and functions in a sentence.

What Does Since Mean?

Since acts as a preposition, conjunction, and adverb. As an adverb, it can indicate a time period. Moreover, as a conjunction, it can also indicate a cause. In this sense, since is similar to the conjunction because. For example:

Time Period – In the intervening period between the time mentioned and the time under consideration, typically the present.
– It has been seven years since I last saw her.
– She has learned table tennis since she was six years old.
– I have had two jobs since I graduated.

Cause – similar to because
– I had to share a room with two other patients since there was a shortage of space in the hospital.
– She went home since she finished her work early.
– He was pardoned for his crime since he helped to catch the other pirates.

What Does Sense Mean?

The word sense has entirely different from since. Sense acts as both verb and noun.  As a noun, it can refer to a faculty by which the body perceives an external stimulus. Moreover, we possess five such senses: sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound. In addition, sense can also refer to general conscious awareness or general meaning of a word or expression.

The following example sentences will help you to understand the meaning of this noun better.
– He had to rely on his sense of hearing to find the way.
– The tall walls around the house gave her a sense of security.
– This expression has more than one sense.
– Use your common sense!

As a verb, sense means to perceive by a physical sensation, e.g., coming from the skin or muscles, or through instincts. For example,
– He could sense the unfriendliness in their voices.
– We sensed a change in the wind.

What is the Difference Between Since and Sense?

Since is a preposition, conjunction, and adverb, indicating a cause or a time period. In contrast, sense is a noun and a verb, mainly referring to a faculty by which the body perceives an external stimulus. Therefore, the key difference between since and sense is that while since acts as a preposition, conjunction, and adverb, sense acts as a noun and verb. Concerning the meaning, the difference between since and sense is that since indicates a time period or a cause while sense mainly refers to a faculty by which the body perceives an external stimulus.

Summary – Since vs Sense

Since and sense are two words some English learners tend to misuse. Sense is a preposition, conjunction, and adverb whereas a sense is a noun that has various meanings. Therefore, this is the key difference between since and sense.