Sensu

Sensu is a Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...

 term meaning "in the sense of".
It is used in fields including biology, geology and law in the phrases sensu stricto or stricto sensu ("in the stricter sense") (abbr.: s.s.), and sensu lato or lato sensu ("in the wider sense") (abbr.: s.l.). . In rare cases the superlative

Superlative

In grammar the superlative of an adjective or adverb is the greatest form of adjective or adverb which indicates that something has some feature to a greater degree than anything it is being compared to in a given context...

s sensu strictissimo ("in the strictest sense") and sensu latissimo ("in the widest sense") may be used.

Sensu is a Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...

 term meaning "in the sense of".
It is used in fields including biology, geology and law in the phrases sensu stricto or stricto sensu ("in the stricter sense") (abbr.: s.s.), and sensu lato or lato sensu ("in the wider sense") (abbr.: s.l.). . In rare cases the superlative

Superlative

In grammar the superlative of an adjective or adverb is the greatest form of adjective or adverb which indicates that something has some feature to a greater degree than anything it is being compared to in a given context...

s sensu strictissimo ("in the strictest sense") and sensu latissimo ("in the widest sense") may be used. Another common usage is in conjunction with an author citation

Author citation (botany)

In botanical nomenclature, author citation refers to citing the person who validly published a botanical name, i.e. who first published the name while fulfilling the formal requirements as specified by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature .-Normal usage:When citing a botanical name...

, indicating that the intended meaning is the one defined by that author.

Taxonomy

Sensu is used in taxonomy

Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the practice and science of classification. The word finds its roots in the Greek , taxis and , nomos...

 to specify which circumscription of a given taxon

Taxon

|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement. Defining what belongs or does not belong to such a...

 is meant, where more than one circumscription has been defined.

Examples:
specifies Alex George

Alex George

Alexander Segger George is a Western Australian botanist. He is the authority on the plant genera Banksia and Dryandra....

's circumscription of B. subg. Banksia

Banksia subg. Banksia

Banksia subg. Banksia is a valid botanic name for a subgenus of Banksia. As an autonym, it necessarily contains the type species of Banksia, B. serrata . Within this constraint, however, there have been various circumscriptions.-Banksia verae:B. subg...

.