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Synonyms

perception

American  
[per-sep-shuhn] / pərˈsɛp ʃən /

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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

"Everyone's grief is different. I think we have this perception that people can bounce back quite quickly and actually the sense that grief comes in waves."

From BBC

It was honest, but not a great look for a team battling a perception of being loose with their preparation.

From BBC

YouTuber "Ppong Me the Money", who works in the music industry and has joined the trend, says producing the videos changed his perception of trot, which he once considered tacky and outdated.

From BBC

Because of his profession he was interested in perception, but it was not until the early 1950s, when his son Michael was born, that he got a camera.

From The Wall Street Journal

And by having a central bank that is credible and independent, I think we reinforce the perception that people have that their currency is in good hands and will be protected.

From The Wall Street Journal