perception
Americannoun
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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
-
insight or intuition gained by perceiving
-
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
- nonperception noun
- nonperceptional adjective
- perceptional adjective
- reperception noun
- self-perception noun
- unperceptional adjective
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”; percept, -ion
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.
But the authors’ self-interest can dilute the perception of objectivity.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
With just a handful of words, Emma has altered everyone’s perception of her, including her fiancé’s.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
Roberts admits that the “magic number” of $1.46 million is more of a hunch or perception of what people think they’ll need, rather than an official financial calculation.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
These are poets who sought to alter the reader’s perception of reality by way of arresting, often sense-defying arrangements of language and imagery.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
Oppenheimer was rare among theorists in conceding value to the uncomplicated perception of nature, free of abstractions, that happened to be Lawrence’s approach.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
