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
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:
This trouble you perceive is not merely: “Now she’s raised our kids, it’s time for her to go back to work.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 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
First we perceive something, then we think about it and make a choice, and finally we act.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
He declined to say how China or North Korea may perceive the mass exercise featuring more than 500 maritime events and 2,400 air missions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
He began to perceive what this was, a woman who clung to an old and dying man because of what last thing she might get from him.
From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck
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
“The minute I make that phone call or anybody perceives that Authentic could control the newsroom, forget it, game over,” Dienst said, referencing Bhargava.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2026
Despite their perilous position, Passmoor believes Lehmann has made a positive impact and backs up how his striker perceives herself.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026
I know how a fly perceives the world, I’ve seen many flies’ eyes, through microscopes.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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
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
In extreme situations, Chin said, it helps to think objectively about the difference between real risk and perceived risk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 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
A music came down the river as it drew nearer; and suddenly they perceived that it was a ship, wrought and carved with elven-skill in the likeness of a bird.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
That’s not quite how others are perceiving this “symbol.”
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 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
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
The consultation is looking into how this would be determined, and is considering factors such as people living together, sharing finances and others perceiving them as a couple.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
But I relied on my sense, on perceiving.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
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.
