perceive
Americanverb (used with object)
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perceives,
present (3rd person singular)
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perceived,
past participle, past
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perceiving
present participle
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to become aware of, know, or identify by means of the senses.
I perceived an object looming through the mist.
- Synonyms:
- distinguish, descry, observe, discover, note
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to recognize, discern, envision, or understand: This is a nice idea but I perceive difficulties in putting it into practice.
I perceive a note of sarcasm in your voice.
This is a nice idea but I perceive difficulties in putting it into practice.
verb
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to become aware of (something) through the senses, esp the sight; recognize or observe
-
(tr; may take a clause as object) to come to comprehend; grasp
Synonym Usage
See notice.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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perceivabilitynoun
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perceivernoun
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perceivingnessnoun
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reperceiveverb (used with object)
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nonperceivingadjective
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perceivableadjective
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self-perceivingadjective
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unperceivingadjective
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perceivablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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perceivesimple
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perceivessimple
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have perceivedperfect
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has perceivedperfect
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am perceivingprogressive
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are perceivingprogressive
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is perceivingprogressive
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have been perceivingperfect progressive
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has been perceivingperfect progressive
Past
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perceivedsimple
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had perceivedperfect
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was perceivingprogressive
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were perceivingprogressive
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had been perceivingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of perceive
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English perceiven, from unattested Anglo-French perceivre, for perçoivre, from Latin percipere “to lay hold of, grasp,” equivalent to per- per- + -cipere, combining form of capere “to take”
Explanation
When we perceive something, we become aware of or notice it. Sometimes we perceive things by using our senses of sight, hearing, and smell. Or we can use our mind to perceive things, which means that we are able to recognize or understand them. We can also perceive a person or thing as having certain qualities: Do you perceive yourself as a good student? The Latin root percipere means "to receive, understand," from the prefix per- "thoroughly" plus capere "to seize, take."
Vocabulary lists containing perceive
List 1
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Metamorphosis
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Academic Vocabulary: Core Tier 2 Words, List 9
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
People pay a premium for iPhones because they perceive value in the tight coupling of hardware, software and apps inside Apple’s ecosystem.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
While others with hearing disorders can perceive certain low-frequency vibrations as sound, for Pride almost everything is completely inaudible without powerful hearing aids.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
But civil society and women's rights groups have denounced what they perceive as the government's delay in turning the bill into law.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Their goal was to explore a long-standing mystery: how did the dodo perceive and interact with the world around it?
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
One need only place beside them in imagination any Greek statue of a god, so normal and natural with all its beauty, to perceive what a new idea had come into the world.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Being among the bodies in motion, a boutique is perhaps the last place your mind perceives you to be, but the clothes remain the quiet constant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
This next generation perceives the world and decides what to do next.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Tinnitus, often described as ringing in the ears, occurs when someone perceives a sound inside the ear or head even though no external source is producing it.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026
The judge said Winehouse was "understandably sensitive about anyone who he perceives as exploiting Amy's memory... but also, in my judgement, he is equally sensitive about ensuring that the family continue to benefit financially."
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
And at night, waking out of a dream, overwhelmed and bewitched by the crowding apparitions, a man perceives with alarm how slight is the support, how thin the boundary that divides him from the darkness.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
Researchers also collected stool and urine samples to track changes in gut microbes, metabolism, mood, and perceived stress.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026
The platform however argues it is a "generic male voice" whose perceived similarity to Tsuda's is subjective at best, according to court records accessed by AFP.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
Possessions are often “tangible symbols of love and perceived parental favor,” Birkhofer says.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
“Greater clarity and stability make long-term investment more feasible, lower the perceived risk of committing capital, and should help unlock the private investment Greenland needs to develop its resources, infrastructure and economy.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
And as he looked past her he perceived a room in disorder.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
This deceptively simple formulation is premised on an important distinction between sensing and perceiving.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
"Since dietary decisions are strongly influenced by reward assessment and physical state, targeted breath regulation could also play a role in consciously perceiving and more effectively managing eating behavior," Park summarizes for future research activities.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
In under half a minute, the state’s theory asserts, Byrd and Roberts went from perceiving a genuine threat and returning fire to pursuing someone who no longer posed a danger.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
“Raging against the second half of your life, raging against how the world’s perceiving you, and how the world looks at you at a certain age.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Seating himself at his desk, he pointedly fished about in a drawer until Miss Marsten, perceiving the hint, departed.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
