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Sentience, also known as sapience, was a level of self-awareness equal or greater than that of a human.
In 2273, when Leonard McCoy argued in favor of siding with the Orgs against the Machs, whom he saw as just machines, James T. Kirk pointed out that the Machs were sentient beings. (TOS comic: "The Expansionist Syndrome")
In 2368, the personnel of Daystrom One feared that their artificial intelligence might have become sentient. (TNG - Intelligence Gathering comic: "Valued Intelligence")