perceived
Americanadjective
-
taken in by the senses; heard, seen, felt, etc..
Spontaneous memories are activated by specific signals from the parts of the brain that deal with perceived stimuli like smells, pictures, and words.
-
detected, discerned, or recognized, often without corroboration by others.
He fails to appreciate that the perceived "backlash" against his post was not an expression of reluctance to accept change, just disagreement with his specific proposal.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of perceived
Explanation
If you sense something is true by instinct, but not necessarily by fact, you can describe that sense as perceived. If you suspect that your neighbor's dog might be dangerous, you can say the dog is a perceived threat to your family's safety. The adjective perceived has its Latin roots in per, meaning "thoroughly," and capere, meaning "to grasp." Today it retains a sense of grasping something mentally or sensing it. Oddly, the word has two conflicting meanings: first, something you infer or suspect, rather than detecting with your senses. The second meaning, however, is quite the opposite: something sensed through your actual senses, especially those of sight or hearing.
Vocabulary lists containing perceived
Alex Trebek (1940–2020) Tribute List
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Hello, Universe
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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 1
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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.
Cornyn's side focused on Paxton's past political and legal scandals and perceived personal shortcomings.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
Researchers have noted that people who follow the carnivore diet do so because of its perceived physical and mental-health benefits.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
How Chopra perceived or understood these women’s relationship to Epstein is not clear.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
Chicago’s World’s Columbian Exposition permanently altered how the city was perceived, both domestically and abroad.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026
It was, I perceived, summer lightning cutting through the storm, etching mud and spire.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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.
