perceive
Americanverb (used with object)
-
perceives,
present (3rd person singular)
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perceived,
past participle, past
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perceiving
present participle
-
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
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perceivabilitynoun
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perceivernoun
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perceivingnessnoun
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reperceiveverb (used with object)
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nonperceivingadjective
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perceivableadjective
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self-perceivingadjective
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unperceivingadjective
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perceivablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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perceivesimple
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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
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had perceivedperfect
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was perceivingprogressive
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were perceivingprogressive
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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
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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:
In recent years, streaming’s popularity has significantly impacted the genre and how audiences perceive it.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026
The surprising behavior raises new questions about how birds perceive the people around them.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
Studies have found that visualization — being prompted to consider vivid and emotionally meaningful images — can clarify how we perceive risk and prepare for it.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
A University of Massachusetts Amherst poll last month found that only 22% of Americans perceive the economy in a good or fair state.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 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
An additional vulnerability Panigirtzoglou perceives is the assets under management of leveraged memory ETFs, relative to the market capitalization of the underlying stocks.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
Both Cruise and Pitt have a death grip on their A-List prestige, hyper-aware of how much the world perceives and enjoys their work.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
A thermostat or a motion-activated switch has no consciousness, and so merely senses rather than perceives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
But, crucially, you hear in his answer a sense of why he perceives that - that is what it feels like.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Another aspect of the auditory cortex’s function is how it groups or perceives musical information.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
This was perceived as a dig against Eduardo, mockingly nicknamed "little banana."
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
Companies that pay large dividends tend to have solid operating cash flows and strong balance sheets, even if they are perceived to be more stodgy than the latest hot tech stock.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
Many on the call were stunned at what they perceived as a lack of understanding of election planning.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026
"Should I wear this? How will that look? How am I going to be perceived? Will I be judged?," she told BBC Scotland News.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
When Hazel woke he perceived at once that it was morning—some time after sunrise, by the smell of it.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
"Since dietary decisions are strongly influenced by reward assessment and physical state, targeted breath regulation could also play a role in consciously perceiving and more effectively managing eating behavior," Park summarizes for future research activities.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
No damning life event preceded my change in style, though I’d recently stopped dating and found some strange joy in perceiving bangs as another barrier-to-entry to anyone who tried.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
“Washington is perceiving China as its first strategic priority,” Breuer said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
In under half a minute, the state’s theory asserts, Byrd and Roberts went from perceiving a genuine threat and returning fire to pursuing someone who no longer posed a danger.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
Seating himself at his desk, he pointedly fished about in a drawer until Miss Marsten, perceiving the hint, departed.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
