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Synonyms

perceive

American

[per-seev] / pərˈsiv /

verb (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.

perceive British

/ pəˈsiːv /

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

"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

Synonym Usage

See notice.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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."

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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.

This can be especially challenging when the species involved perceive the world in different ways.

From Science Daily • Jun. 20, 2026

"But to be polarising is to be talked about and to be cared about, and I think I'd always rather that than be constantly treading on eggshells and trying to dictate how people perceive you."

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026

Voters, Mitchell said, “are really thinking about the implications” of their vote, and perhaps don’t want to throw it away on a candidate they perceive as having no chance.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026

It is an example of the difficulties CEOs face in describing what they perceive to be the benefits and the downsides of AI in the workplace.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Bay Area industry began to perceive the value of a relationship with Lawrence and his increasingly famous machine.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023