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
-
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
-
(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:
Through the Unruh effect, an accelerating observer would perceive empty space as a thermal environment.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026
The way Americans perceive socialism is apparently undergoing such a transition.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
Sometimes what we perceive as micromanagement is just workplace culture.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
At Germany's Canyon, a racing bike equipped with cameras and radars promises to alert cyclists "to the presence of elements they do not necessarily perceive", company spokesman Ben Hilldson said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
There was the same pureness in the air, the same clarity, the same respite from dust and destruction that Aureliano Segundo had known in childhood and that only Colonel Aureliano Buendía could not perceive.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
If the public perceives that technology is too effective and hunters aren’t “showing respect for the animal, that’s not socially acceptable” and will create a backlash, Schoonen says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 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
"China perceives Spain as relatively friendly, less confrontational toward China than other countries and likely more independent from Washington. This allows for more autonomous decision-making," he told AFP.
From Barron's ● Apr. 12, 2026
Scotland's relationship with England, and how England perceives that relationship, has layers to it.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026
In every cinder of the universe Mercer probably perceives inconspicuous life.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
Cuts could be perceived as an admission that the goods were never worth what the brand was charging in the first place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
He expressed frustration with a perceived lag in the arrival of aid while the nation celebrated Independence Day with pomp and ceremony in the capital Jakarta.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Yet for KeyBanc Capital Markets these two perceived issues create “an opportunity for investors who appreciate the revenue and EPS implications of doubling capacity into the strongest catalyst the industry has likely ever seen.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
Other prosecutions have been perceived as heavy-handed and unjust.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
As if looking through his eyes, she perceived her own withered skin, her sparse gray hair, the awkward gait with which she moved.
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
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
Consumers in the survey began perceiving stronger inflation ahead after the Iran war started, Hsu said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
But the more we do that, the more things there are for us to pay attention to and the more worries we have about how other people are perceiving us.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2026
"Pain is an extremely efficient means for perceiving damage to the body and to indicate the associated threat to its continued life. This often triggers a survival response, such as fleeing or freezing."
From Science Daily ● Dec. 15, 2025
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.
