An inimitable Schiff-base chemosensor PMA (9-anthracenecarboxaldehyde pentafluorophenylhydrazone) was premeditated and implicated with the aim of detecting F À and CN À in semiaqueous medium. Highly photostable, multichannel sensory probe, PMA (with 31 % quantum yield) exhibited amusing sensing efficiency towards F À and CN À by dint of colorimetric, fluorimetric as well as electrochemical alterations, with a very low detection limit (76 nM for F À and 92 nM CN À). However, all the experimental outcomes evidenced PMA to be more sensitive towards F À than CN À owing to the more electro-negativity and smaller size of F À. The spectroscopic characterizations of the chemosensor along with the sensing studies were performed by more than a few erudite analytical tools, whereas the theoretical calculations also substantiated the experimental consequences. Here the thorough investigation on the theoretical aspect was performed to ensure the effective and plausible reason behind different sensitivity towards these two perilous anions. Moreover, the recyclability of PMA upon simultaneous addition of F À /CN À and Hg 2 + also helped to intend a three input logical circuitry.