perception

[per-sep-shuhn]

noun

1. the act or faculty of perceiving, or apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind; cognition; understanding.

   Synonyms: recognition, sense, awareness

2. immediate or intuitive recognition or appreciation, as of moral, psychological, or aesthetic qualities; insight; intuition; discernment.

   an artist of rare perception.

3. the result or product of perceiving, as distinguished from the act of perceiving; percept.

4. Psychology.,  a single unified awareness derived from sensory processes while a stimulus is present.

5. Law.,  the taking into possession of rents, crops, profits, etc.

perception

/ pəˈsɛpʃən /

noun

1. the act or the effect of perceiving

2. insight or intuition gained by perceiving

3. the ability or capacity to perceive

4. way of perceiving; awareness or consciousness; view

   advertising affects the customer's perception of a product

5. the process by which an organism detects and interprets information from the external world by means of the sensory receptors

6. law the collection, receipt, or taking into possession of rents, crops, etc

Other Word Forms

• perceptional adjective
• nonperception noun
• nonperceptional adjective
• reperception noun
• self-perception noun
• unperceptional adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of perception¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English percepcioun, from Old French percepcïon, from Latin perceptiōn-, stem of perceptiō “comprehension,” literally, “a taking in”; percept, -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of perception¹

C15: from Latin perceptiō comprehension; see _perceive

Example Sentences

I hate it when people have an inaccurate perception of who I am.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

“Now they are asking us to invest more in Italy. The perception of risk has changed,” said Moretti.

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The Prancing Horse’s customers are willing to fork out millions of dollars to make repeat purchases because of the perception that its supercars are best-in-class.

Read more on Barron's

Belgium’s topsy-turvy nuclear debate is a reflection of how radically perceptions of nuclear power have changed across the West and beyond in just a few years.

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The perception of turmoil bleeds into reality, and suddenly, the kids won’t stop barking and the laundry is screaming.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• approach 
• attention 
• attitude 
• awareness 
• concept 
• consciousness 
• feeling 
• image 
• impression 
• judgment 
• knowledge 
• notion 
• opinion 
• recognition 
• sense 
• taste 
• thought 
• viewpoint