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:
Sometimes what we perceive as micromanagement is just workplace culture.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
And truthfully, there’s dignity in that curiosity, in wanting to know if greatness is all there is, or if there is something more that exists beyond what we can perceive.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
Gomez meanwhile said that while Maradona was seen as a revolutionary who confronted FIFA's power, current narratives perceive Messi as FIFA's "golden boy."
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
This concern doesn’t always resonate with voters who perceive an immediate benefit in a higher hourly rate for low-income workers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
Within the blood itself he could perceive its separate cells, and see their colors in his consciousness, and the prisms of their molecules, and all of it was awake now, gathering power.
From "Messenger" by Lois Lowry
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
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
Mr. Trump perceives himself as a deal maker.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
In every cinder of the universe Mercer probably perceives inconspicuous life.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
Others, however, remain unhappy with his perceived disloyalty, having come out publicly about his desire to move to Madrid, with his agent Javier Pastore also claiming he is underpaid.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
They are perceived as contributing more to workplace culture than the company’s bottom line.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Iran doesn’t have to sink ships to control traffic—the perceived possibility of an attack can make a single voyage cost millions more to insure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
A steady, if inconspicuous, presence in California Democratic politics over the years, Becerra is largely perceived as a risk-averse candidate who would continue the status quo if he is elected.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
The charwoman was going on; but here Leah turned and perceived me, and she instantly gave her companion a nudge.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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
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
Companies expressed more optimism about an end to the Middle East conflict, perceiving less business uncertainty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 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
Children’s knowledge of how to use a tool could be a result of their experience with the tool; alternatively, it could be a result of their perceiving the tool’s affordances from shape and manipulability cues.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
