perception
Americannoun
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perceptions
plural
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the act or faculty of perceiving, or apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind; cognition; understanding.
- Synonyms:
- recognition, sense, awareness
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immediate or intuitive recognition or appreciation, as of moral, psychological, or aesthetic qualities; insight; intuition; discernment.
an artist of rare perception.
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the result or product of perceiving, as distinguished from the act of perceiving; percept.
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Psychology. a single unified awareness derived from sensory processes while a stimulus is present.
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Law. the taking into possession of rents, crops, profits, etc.
noun
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the act or the effect of perceiving
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insight or intuition gained by perceiving
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the ability or capacity to perceive
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way of perceiving; awareness or consciousness; view
advertising affects the customer's perception of a product
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the process by which an organism detects and interprets information from the external world by means of the sensory receptors
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law the collection, receipt, or taking into possession of rents, crops, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonperceptionnoun
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reperceptionnoun
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self-perceptionnoun
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nonperceptionaladjective
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perceptionaladjective
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unperceptionaladjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of perception
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English percepcioun, from Old French percepcïon, from Latin perceptiōn-, stem of perceptiō “comprehension,” literally, “a taking in”; see percept, -ion
Explanation
Each generation has a different perception — view, idea or understanding — of what is cool. You wouldn't want to walk around in the paisley patterns of the 1960s or the big hair of the 1980s today! Based on the Latin root cipere, "to grasp," perception refers to the way you take in the world through your senses. Have you ever thought a stair was bigger than it really was so your step was too heavy? Your depth perception was off. The noun also means the opinions and beliefs you've formed about something. Your perception of your room after you've cleaned it is different than your parents' — you see clean and they probably don't.
Vocabulary lists containing perception
Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
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"Animal Wisdom" and "The Last Wolf," Vocabulary from the poems
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Content Summary G.2: Regionalization
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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:
“The old perception that prenups are only for wealthy people is so outdated,” says Miklos Ringbauer, a certified public accountant and founder of the accounting firm MiklosCPA Inc.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
Cats are already known for lacking a "sweet tooth," but this marks the first recorded case in felids involving the inactivation of genes tied to sour taste perception.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
Although the brand never spells it out explicitly, there is a perception among Birkin collectors that they must spend heavily on other Hermès goods to be offered one of the bags.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
"There is a growing perception among residents that the problem remains unaddressed and the situation is continuing unchecked," he wrote.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
And yet a pernicious seed had been planted—a perception of me as disgruntled and vaguely hostile, lacking some expected level of grace.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Foreign Minister Robert Dussey of Togo, which sponsored the resolution, said maps "guide education, nourish the imagination, and influence collective perceptions."
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
Government overrules popular perceptions as its needs require.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Because of a long history of such characterizations and perceptions, mountain people have often been forced to locate the beauty within themselves and their culture.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
"The aim is to try and change perceptions of what living with stage 4 cancer can mean," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Barack and I were committed to changing the perceptions about what made a young woman valuable to a society.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
