perceive
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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
-
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
-
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
Related Words
See notice.
Other Word Forms
- nonperceiving adjective
- perceivability noun
- perceivable adjective
- perceivably adverb
- perceiver noun
- perceivingness noun
- reperceive verb (used with object)
- self-perceiving adjective
- unperceiving adjective
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”
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.
Gold prices rose slightly Monday, lifted by demand for perceived havens.
“Iran’s strikes on the Gulf economies have punctured the perceived security and stability of the region,” said Jason Tuvey, deputy chief emerging markets economist at Capital Economics.
“The Europeans were perceived to have high respect for international law and a strong moral compass, so it was like getting the international stamp of approval. So we actually cared for that legitimacy,” she said.
Whenever investors shifted to ”risk off” from “risk on,” out went stocks and other risky assets in favor of what was perceived as the world’s safest asset: U.S. government bonds.
From MarketWatch
Many cutting-edge technologies need ways to perceive their environment.
From Barron's
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.
