perceived

American  

[per-seevd] / pərˈsivd /

adjective

1. taken in by the senses; heard, seen, felt, etc..

   Spontaneous memories are activated by specific signals from the parts of the brain that deal with perceived stimuli like smells, pictures, and words.

2. detected, discerned, or recognized, often without corroboration by others.

   He fails to appreciate that the perceived "backlash" against his post was not an expression of reluctance to accept change, just disagreement with his specific proposal.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of perceive.

Other Word Forms

• perceivedly
  adverb
• perceivedness
  noun
• unperceived
  adjective
• well-perceived
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of perceived

perceive ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

If you sense something is true by instinct, but not necessarily by fact, you can describe that sense as perceived. If you suspect that your neighbor's dog might be dangerous, you can say the dog is a perceived threat to your family's safety. The adjective perceived has its Latin roots in per, meaning "thoroughly," and capere, meaning "to grasp." Today it retains a sense of grasping something mentally or sensing it. Oddly, the word has two conflicting meanings: first, something you infer or suspect, rather than detecting with your senses. The second meaning, however, is quite the opposite: something sensed through your actual senses, especially those of sight or hearing.

Example Sentences

“Brent crude oil prices remain below $100 per barrel—a good barometer of how talks between Tehran and Washington are perceived to be progressing,” AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould said.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

Markets have changed in the past decade, with inflation now the biggest perceived risk, according to Piper Sandler.

From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026

The situation wasn’t helped by some perceived corporate-governance issues, I was told when working on my book about Tesla’s history, “Power Play.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

Over sushi and spicy margaritas at Wabi on Rose, a longtime friend advised me about how to give your husband wins, build up his self-esteem and keep from overwhelming him with perceived demands.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

But Varney also perceived something else: the silver eagles on his collar rendered all the muscles of all the light colonels in the Marine Corps impotent.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

• anticipated
• recognized