perceive
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to become aware of, know, or identify by means of the senses.
I perceived an object looming through the mist.
- Synonyms:
- distinguish, descry, observe, discover, note
-
to recognize, discern, envision, or understand: This is a nice idea but I perceive difficulties in putting it into practice.
I perceive a note of sarcasm in your voice.
This is a nice idea but I perceive difficulties in putting it into practice.
verb
-
to become aware of (something) through the senses, esp the sight; recognize or observe
-
(tr; may take a clause as object) to come to comprehend; grasp
Synonym Usage
See notice.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
perceivabilitynoun
-
perceivernoun
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perceivingnessnoun
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reperceiveverb (used with object)
-
nonperceivingadjective
-
perceivableadjective
-
self-perceivingadjective
-
unperceivingadjective
-
perceivablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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perceivesimple
-
perceivessimple
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have perceivedperfect
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has perceivedperfect
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am perceivingprogressive
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are perceivingprogressive
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is perceivingprogressive
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have been perceivingperfect progressive
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has been perceivingperfect progressive
Past
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perceivedsimple
-
had perceivedperfect
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was perceivingprogressive
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were perceivingprogressive
-
had been perceivingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of perceive
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English perceiven, from unattested Anglo-French perceivre, for perçoivre, from Latin percipere “to lay hold of, grasp,” equivalent to per- per- + -cipere, combining form of capere “to take”
Explanation
When we perceive something, we become aware of or notice it. Sometimes we perceive things by using our senses of sight, hearing, and smell. Or we can use our mind to perceive things, which means that we are able to recognize or understand them. We can also perceive a person or thing as having certain qualities: Do you perceive yourself as a good student? The Latin root percipere means "to receive, understand," from the prefix per- "thoroughly" plus capere "to seize, take."
Vocabulary lists containing perceive
List 1
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Metamorphosis
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Academic Vocabulary: Core Tier 2 Words, List 9
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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.
See Examples For:
Sometimes what we perceive as micromanagement is just workplace culture.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
And truthfully, there’s dignity in that curiosity, in wanting to know if greatness is all there is, or if there is something more that exists beyond what we can perceive.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
Gomez meanwhile said that while Maradona was seen as a revolutionary who confronted FIFA's power, current narratives perceive Messi as FIFA's "golden boy."
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
"But to be polarising is to be talked about and to be cared about, and I think I'd always rather that than be constantly treading on eggshells and trying to dictate how people perceive you."
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
He had gone, eyes and whole being, far into a place that Matty could not perceive and where no one could follow him.
From "Messenger" by Lois Lowry
Tinnitus, often described as ringing in the ears, occurs when someone perceives a sound inside the ear or head even though no external source is producing it.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026
If the public perceives that technology is too effective and hunters aren’t “showing respect for the animal, that’s not socially acceptable” and will create a backlash, Schoonen says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
The judge said Winehouse was "understandably sensitive about anyone who he perceives as exploiting Amy's memory... but also, in my judgement, he is equally sensitive about ensuring that the family continue to benefit financially."
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
Now, though, he perceives bitcoin is “potentially on the verge of breaking out of this range to the upside and breaking the bear trend.”
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 16, 2026
Maybe Eric perceives Four as a potential threat to his position.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
Goldman excluded “the most clearly AI-related stocks, including both the beneficiaries of infrastructure spending and companies perceived to be at risk from disruption.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
The social care system in England - which is delivered mainly by independent providers rather than the NHS - is widely perceived as underfunded and unfair.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Prenups have historically been a taboo subject, perceived as a contract that protects family wealth from newcomers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
The researchers compared changes in feeding, vigilance, and movement across many species and ecosystems to determine whether people are always perceived as an extreme danger.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
At last he saw the first of the dawn, like light faintly perceived round a corner at the far end of an unknown burrow; and in the same moment a yellowhammer sang.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
Finding their conversations therapeutic—and perceiving a dearth of literature on mistakes—they have written “From Mistakes to Meaning.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
But the more we do that, the more things there are for us to pay attention to and the more worries we have about how other people are perceiving us.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2026
"Pain is an extremely efficient means for perceiving damage to the body and to indicate the associated threat to its continued life. This often triggers a survival response, such as fleeing or freezing."
From Science Daily ● Dec. 15, 2025
“The Fed sees itself within the ‘broad range’ of neutral” with respect to its policy rate, which implies it’s no longer perceiving its posture as “restrictive,” according to Dutta.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 12, 2025
But I relied on my sense, on perceiving.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
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.
