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Synonyms

perception

American  
[per-sep-shuhn] / pərˈsɛp ʃən /

noun

  1. the act or faculty of perceiving, or apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind; cognition; understanding.

    Synonyms:
    recognition, sense, awareness
  2. immediate or intuitive recognition or appreciation, as of moral, psychological, or aesthetic qualities; insight; intuition; discernment.

    an artist of rare perception.

  3. the result or product of perceiving, as distinguished from the act of perceiving; percept.

  4. Psychology. a single unified awareness derived from sensory processes while a stimulus is present.

  5. Law. the taking into possession of rents, crops, profits, etc.


perception British  
/ pəˈsɛpʃən /

noun

  1. the act or the effect of perceiving

  2. insight or intuition gained by perceiving

  3. the ability or capacity to perceive

  4. way of perceiving; awareness or consciousness; view

    advertising affects the customer's perception of a product

  5. the process by which an organism detects and interprets information from the external world by means of the sensory receptors

  6. law the collection, receipt, or taking into possession of rents, crops, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonperception noun
  • nonperceptional adjective
  • perceptional adjective
  • reperception noun
  • self-perception noun
  • unperceptional adjective

Etymology

Origin of perception

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English percepcioun, from Old French percepcïon, from Latin perceptiōn-, stem of perceptiō “comprehension,” literally, “a taking in”; percept, -ion

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.

Roberts admits that the “magic number” of $1.46 million is more of a hunch or perception of what people think they’ll need, rather than an official financial calculation.

From MarketWatch

These are poets who sought to alter the reader’s perception of reality by way of arresting, often sense-defying arrangements of language and imagery.

From The Wall Street Journal

It might be the outside perception that the nearly five-week break between races created by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix could give F1 personnel some time for rest.

From BBC

"I think the reason why Pakistan is best positioned to speak to Iran is because it does not carry the perception of being pro-Israeli or even being very pro-American."

From BBC

Turning those perceptions around is going to be crucial to getting more people into work and potentially cutting the welfare bill.

From BBC