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

Being able to smile and offer a degree of humour can soften the perception of you.

Read more on BBC

Cane’s generated $5.1 billion in sales last year, and there’s a perception that it would be just another chicken chain without its sauce.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Policymakers "change budgets and they really have no perception how many lives are at stake," he said.

Read more on Barron's

Markets now indicate a perception that a hold is more likely than another cut in December.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Alphabet Inc.’s stock has benefited from changing investor perceptions this year.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

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