perception

American  

[per-sep-shuhn] / pərˈsɛp ʃən /

noun

perceptions plural

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• perceptions
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

perception perceptions

Some who want the agency insulated from politics hope that the geeky, introverted Matsumoto is exactly the right type of person to put the perception of political meddling at the agency to rest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Years later, Messi acknowledged that the incident had altered the perception some Mexican fans had of him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

It’s a skill that requires both an innate understanding of your own identity and the world’s perception of you.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

Although the foveola makes up only a small portion of the retina, it is responsible for about half of all human visual perception.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

He stops writing and finally looks at me with his one good eye, and I think, how can this man possibly have perspective on me when he has no depth perception?

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

But if there is disagreement about which starting point to use, this can lead to inflated growth perceptions, too.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

She said she hoped Blue Badgers could also help change perceptions of unpaid carers, who she believed were too often overlooked despite playing a vital role in supporting disabled people.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

For the filmed sequences, Weist worked with cinematographer and visual artist Abigail Raphael Collins, whose research has explored the role Hollywood has played in constructing public perceptions of American state power.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

Humans are social primates, and our perceptions of what’s normal or desirable are shaped by those around us.

From Slate ● Jul. 6, 2026

He was alone with his own perceptions and appetites, and they alone interested him.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

Related Words

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