perceived

American

[per-seevd] / pərˈsivd /

adjective

taken in by the senses; heard, seen, felt, etc..

Spontaneous memories are activated by specific signals from the parts of the brain that deal with perceived stimuli like smells, pictures, and words.
detected, discerned, or recognized, often without corroboration by others.

He fails to appreciate that the perceived "backlash" against his post was not an expression of reluctance to accept change, just disagreement with his specific proposal.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of perceive.

Other Word Forms

perceivedly adverb
perceivedness noun
unperceived adjective
well-perceived adjective

Etymology

Origin of perceived

perceive ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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.

Auriemma forcefully reprimanded Staley for a perceived pregame slight surrounding the pregame handshake.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

While Lime has arguably been perceived by some in the past as relatively expensive, the new subscription appears to try to undercut the cost of single journeys using buses and other forms of public transport.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Within days of the interview, which was perceived in part as a ploy for clemency by Maxwell, she was moved to a minimum-security camp in Texas.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

State officials said they perceived her letter as a demand made in exchange for potentially withdrawing ICE agents from the city.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

The candle, wasted at last, went out; as it expired, I perceived streaks of grey light edging the window curtains: dawn was then approaching.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023