Technical term in immunology referring to the process of making an organism sensitive to an antigen, often used in contexts like allergies or vaccine responses.
Sensitization to allergens can sometimes cause asthma.
This vaccine promotes sensitization of the immune system.
desensitization
systematic desensitization
Compound of 感 (kan, 'feeling, sensation') and 作 (sa, 'make, create'), literally 'creating sensitivity'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term is used in modern medical contexts.