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.

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Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

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Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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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.

They describe their work, Perceive Me, as a social experiment in prejudice, where users are asked to confront perceptions of people through online content.

From The Guardian • Nov. 13, 2015

Perceive not only what it includes, but what it excludes.

From How to Study by Swain, George Fillmore

Perceive the objects of your experience through several senses—touch, smell, sight, hearing, taste.

From How to Use Your Mind A Psychology of Study: Being a Manual for the Use of Students and Teachers in the Administration of Supervised Study by Kitson, Harry D.

Perceive that my name has been lugged into the controversy, but have not time to state what I know of the subject.

From Life of Lord Byron, Vol. 5 With His Letters and Journals by Moore, Thomas

And he said unto them: Perceive ye not this similitude.

From The first New Testament printed in English by

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