sentience

This term describes the raw ability to perceive and feel, focusing on the subjective experience of sensations rather than the higher-order cognitive processes associated with sapience or intelligence. It is frequently employed in philosophical, legal, and ethical discussions concerning the moral status of non-human animals or artificial intelligence.

As an uncountable noun, sentience cannot be pluralized or counted with numbers. To refer to specific instances or degrees of this capacity, one must use partitive constructions such as a level of sentience or a degree of sentience.