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
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(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
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Metamorphosis
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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:
That brings me to one of the more surprising lessons so far: how I perceive risk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
That behavioral change provided evidence that cats can perceive differences among individual BFA compositions.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 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
What we are starting to perceive in the U.S.,
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
Would-be inventors, motivated by the prospect of money or fame, perceive the need and try to meet it.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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
Now, though, he perceives bitcoin is “potentially on the verge of breaking out of this range to the upside and breaking the bear trend.”
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 16, 2026
Another aspect of the auditory cortex’s function is how it groups or perceives musical information.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Others labelled the perceived lack of justice a "disgrace" and said they felt ashamed of the prestigious university, which has defended its handling of the case.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
The U.S. bond market reversed course Thursday, as investors started separating perceived winners from losers among the debt of developed countries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Contributing to that assessment, he claimed, is a perceived inability or unwillingness to effectively fight certain types of crime.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
She said she and her daughter got into a habit of texting to schedule a call, which “created some perceived hurdles to keeping in touch.”
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026
When Hazel woke he perceived at once that it was morning—some time after sunrise, by the smell of it.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
"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
No damning life event preceded my change in style, though I’d recently stopped dating and found some strange joy in perceiving bangs as another barrier-to-entry to anyone who tried.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 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
Companies expressed more optimism about an end to the Middle East conflict, perceiving less business uncertainty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
Hearing is the act of perceiving sounds by the ear.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
