What is a synonym for analytical sensitivity?

• A. Specificity
• B. Detection limit
• C. Accuracy
• D. Precision

Answer: (B)

Analytical sensitivity is about how small a change in analyte concentration a method can detect. The detection limit is the smallest amount of analyte that can be reliably detected above the background noise. When a method has a lower detection limit, it can detect smaller concentrations, which means it is more sensitive. That direct link makes detection limit the best match as a synonym for analytical sensitivity.

The other terms describe different performance aspects. Specificity is about distinguishing the target analyte from others; accuracy is about how close a measurement is to the true value; precision is about how reproducible the results are. While related, none of these capture the idea of detecting very small amounts as directly as detection limit does.