What does senting mean?
Senting is the present participle of the verb send, a word meaning to transmit, dispatch, deliver, or cause someone or something to go elsewhere. In a sentence, it describes an action that is taking place at the same time as another action: for example, a person may be senting a message while waiting for a reply. Although the form can occasionally be encountered in older writing or specialized religious contexts, it is not the usual modern English participle; sending is standard in contemporary usage. Senting also differs clearly from scenting, which concerns the production or detection of smells. Because senting is uncommon, readers may initially interpret it as an error, although it is historically attested as a form of the verb and can be appropriate when preserving an archaic register or discussing older language.
verbThe present participle of send, used to describe the act of sending something or someone.
- Present participle of send: carrying out the action of transmitting, dispatching, or causing someone or something to go elsewhere.
"The missionaries spent the afternoon senting letters to their supporters."
"They were senting messages through the night."
"The missionary spent the morning senting letters to supporters abroad."
Forget the usual -ing ending: senting is the rare old-fashioned participle of send.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does senting come from?
The form belongs to the English verb send, whose origins are Old English. The Old English sendan originally meant to cause someone or something to go or to set in motion; its modern sense of transmitting a person or thing developed over time. The present-participle ending -ing became part of English word formation during the Middle English period.
How senting is actually used
Senting is rare in modern standard English, where sending is normally used. It may appear in older writing, religious language, or deliberately archaic contexts.
Easily confused with senting
Sending is the standard modern present participle of send, whereas senting is a rare or archaic variant.
Senting means transmitting or dispatching, while scenting means giving off or detecting an odor.